Townsville region braces for rare winter downpour and chilly conditions

Townsville’s traditional dry season is in for a shake-up, with wet and chilly conditions looking to linger. Find out what to expect.

Sybella Johnston, 2, from Bushland Beach enjoying the wet weather. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Winter woollies and umbrellas will need to be deployed around the Townsville region early this week as unseasonal inclement weather sweeps across North Queensland, sending temperatures plunging.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) anticipated a cloud band to develop over northern Queensland on Monday before weakening early on Wednesday.

BOM senior meteorologist Helen Reid expected “unusual” rain activity to hit the Townsville region on Monday afternoon or evening, and continue into Tuesday, delivering precipitation during the traditional dry season that could exceed Townsville’s June average.

“That’s thanks to a cloud band bringing tropical moisture in from the north of the continent, and that’s bringing quite a lot of rainfall, particularly to northern parts of Queensland, then down the east coast a little way as well,” Ms Reid said.

“In Townsville, maybe up to 15mm (will fall on Monday), but Tuesday is looking particularly wet, (where) we could easily get over 40mm.

“Then it is looking like the system that’s coming through that cloud band will move away quite quickly … we’re not expecting any rain to continue on Wednesday.”

The rain and cloud was expected to drive down NQ’s maximum temperatures on Tuesday, with Townsville set to peak at 23C.

“Further inland, Charter Towers is only looking at 19C (maximum), so looking quite cold right across the region,” she said.

Minimum temperatures for North Queensland on Tuesday. Picture: BOM.

“Then when that rainfall clears out and that cloud band disappears, we are expecting temperatures to bounce back up again on Wednesday and continue to be a little bit warmer through the rest of the week and into the weekend.”

Tuesday forecast for NQ

• Townsville: Min 18C, Max 23C. Cloudy, with a very high (95 per cent) chance of rain, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Possible rainfall: 20 to 50mm. Light winds.

• Ingham: Min 17C, Max 23C. Rain. Possible rainfall: 20 to 50mm.

• Ayr: Min 16C Max 21C. Rain. Possible rainfall: 20 to 50mm.

• Charters Towers: Min 14C, Max 19C. Rain, between 15 to 40mm.

Originally published as Townsville region braces for rare winter downpour and chilly conditions