Queensland Rainfall: Cold Front Brings Storms to Four States
After a week of extreme rain in Queensland, a new weather system is set to trigger severe thunderstorms across much of eastern Australia this weekend.
By Malik Salazar ·
Queensland experienced extreme rainfall over the past week, with several regions receiving more than double their average October totals. This heavy precipitation has set the stage for a new weather system that the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says will bring severe thunderstorms and flash flooding to four eastern states this weekend.
The BoM has issued flood warnings for nine areas in southern Queensland and forecasts severe storms for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. Senior BoM meteorologist David Crock noted that the weather pattern is unusual for October, resembling summer conditions typical of January or February. He explained that a persistent pattern drew in large amounts of moisture, building up totals over seven to 10 days across Queensland and northern New South Wales.
The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded seven-day rainfall totals between 300mm and 400mm, with some locations reaching 450mm. The heaviest downpour occurred on Thursday, when torrential rain stretched from Caboolture to the Border Ranges. Some places received well over 200mm in a single day, causing flash flooding and hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Schools in the affected areas were forced to close on Friday.
A cold front is scheduled to cross New South Wales on Sunday, bringing severe thunderstorms to the western part of the state, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock stated that the threat of thunderstorms will extend across eastern Australia, with severe storms likely in a wide part of inland eastern Australia. Parts of Victoria, including Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and central and eastern South Australia may also be affected by severe storms.
In response to the flooding, the Queensland fire department carried out more than 16 swift-water rescues. In one incident in Caboolture, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man who was clinging to the roof of his vehicle. The BoM expects heavy rain to develop overnight into Sunday morning in Tasmania, continuing the pattern of wet weather across the region.
The forecast indicates that the severe thunderstorms and heavy rain will impact several locations in central and eastern Queensland on Saturday, including Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma. Crock described the situation as having plenty of rain across the south-east, along with showers and storms across much of Queensland after an exceptionally wet week.
