Deluge of rain and floods has seen usually drought-stricken town become an ‘island’

A FEW days ago the reservoir was dry. Now this country town has seen so much rain it’s almost completely cut off.

A REMOTE town in central Queensland, more used to droughts than floods, has become effectively an island following a deluge of rain.

Winton, in the state’s central west, has seen more than 250mm of rain since Sunday with floodwaters peaking at 3.7m on Tuesday.

Downpours in the surrounding area has seen the town become surrounded by water and virtually cut off, with just one access road into the town.

It comes as meteorologists keep watch on not one, but two, possible cyclones forming in the seas off Northern Australia.

The town of Winton has seen huge amounts of flooding. Picture: Winton Shire Council

The town is almost completely cut off by water. Picture: Nick McGrath

Lachlan Millar, the MP for Gregory which takes in Winton, said the parched towns are in celebration mode.

“The Ilfracombe Dam had been bone dry since January. The town was staring down the barrel of having no water. A downpour over the weekend brought the first inflow into the dam since 2016,” he told parliament.

But other communities are still waiting.

“Some people have seen 200-plus millimetres while their neighbours have had nothing. That is nature’s cruel reality in drought-stricken western Queensland.”

The MP said drought-affected farmers in the interior would need support for some time and the drought was not over.

“Four days of rain does not undo seven years of relentless drought conditions. Now more than ever we need to support our farmers, graziers and our rural communities,” Mr Millar said.

In Winton, the council will fly in supplies if the waters don’t recede within a few days.

Winton Hotel owner Kevin Fawcett said locals are managing with the temporary disruption.

“We’ve been in drought out here for so long, so it’s a bit of a novelty. Everyone’s saying how great it is,” he told the ABC.

This rain map shows that huge amounts, in excess of 200-300mm, has fallen in central and northern Queensland. Picture: Sky News Weather.

Flood alerts remain in place for rivers across central Queensland.

Meteorologists continue to keep a close eye on two weather systems in the country’s north and strong winds which are expected to lash the coast.

A warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) predicts gusts will impact coastal towns across most of the state on Wednesday.

Mariners and coastal residents from Cairns to the Gold Coast are likely to be impacted.

A strengthening monsoonal trough in the Gulf of Carpentaria is also causing concern, as is a system in the Coral Sea, both of which could bring further heavy rain and cyclone conditions.

The bureau’s Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Coral Sea states “the tropics are expected to become more active over the weekend and next week”.

“Although there are no specific cyclone threats identifiable in the Coral Sea at this lead time, conditions will continue to be closely monitored.”

The wet weather should ease across much of the state heading towards the end of the week. But the rain could return next week.

— with AAP