More rain on the way for FNQ, sparking concerns for ‘battered’ Cape York township
More rain is on the way for Far North Queensland, with a break in the weather unlikely until the middle of the week, sparking concerns for a Cape York township.
Cairns
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More rain is on the way for Far North Queensland, with a break in the weather unlikely until the middle of the week.
It comes as reports of heavy rainfall battering Lockhart River forced the town’s aerodrome to close due to water damage, spark concerns for potential medical evacuations.
Local Disaster Management Group chair and Mayor Wayne Butcher said the airstrip had been closed since Thursday.
“We are worried,” he said.
“Our capacity to fix it is weather dependent, our crews are fully armed and ready to go, but we need at least six or seven hours to make it work.”
He said a council team was on standby to repair the water damaged runway, however a substantial break in the weather may not happen until Wednesday.
Bureau spokesman Angus Hines said Lockhart River had experienced an extremely localised rain event, recording 304m in 24 hours.
“It was highly localised with two distinct heavy showers that sat in one spot and didn’t move off of Lockhart River,” Mr Hines said.
“When there’s that much moisture in the atmosphere, it brings the energy to kick those showers off and it usually becomes more widespread, but that was very much a lone warrior bringing rain to one spot.”
Mr Hines also warned of a tropical low forming off the Gulf of Carpentaria which would likely bring strong winds and more rain to Cape York.
“There’s a system developing to the northeast of the Top End and whether it forms into a cyclone or not, it’s likely to hit the Gulf of Carpentaria in the week ahead,” he said.
“It’s definitely one to watch.”
Despite the wet forecast, no flood watches or warnings have yet been issued in the Far North.
“At this point of the season, localised flash flooding can occur with moderate to heavy falls,” he said.
Meanwhile Cairns can expect lighter falls this week, with moderate falls possible for the Cassowary Coast and Daintree.
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Originally published as More rain on the way for FNQ, sparking concerns for ‘battered’ Cape York township
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