Severe Storms Head to Four States After Queensland Rain Totals Hit 450mm
Bureau of Meteorology forecasts flash flooding and severe thunderstorms across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania this weekend.
By Petra Murphy ·
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for four states as a new weather system moves across the country.
Meteorologist David Crock said the system will bring heavy rain and severe storms to South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. The agency currently has nine flood warnings active for southern Queensland. In Victoria, parts of Melbourne's eastern suburbs may see severe storms. In South Australia, the threat covers central and eastern regions. Tasmania is expected to see heavy rain developing overnight into Sunday morning.
A cold front is scheduled to cross New South Wales on Sunday. This front will bring severe thunderstorms to the western part of the state, north eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock noted that the threat extends across eastern Australia, with severe storms likely in wide parts of inland eastern Australia.
This forecast follows a week of extreme rainfall in Queensland. Some areas recorded more than double their average October rainfall over a few days. Crock described the conditions as more typical of January or February than the current month. The pattern drew large amounts of moisture into the region, causing totals to build over seven to 10 days in Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Flash flooding hit the Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture. Seven day rainfall totals in these areas ranged from 300mm to 400mm, with some spots reaching 450mm. The heaviest rain fell on Thursday. Torrential rain stretched from Caboolture south to the Border Ranges, and some locations received well over 200mm in a single day.
The downpour triggered water rescues and hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools closed on Friday. The Queensland fire department performed more than 16 swift water rescues. In one incident, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man clinging to the roof of his vehicle in Caboolture.
Crock said severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are also expected at several locations in central and eastern Queensland on Saturday. These locations include Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma.
