Cold front drives severe storms across four states after Queensland downpour
Emergency crews performed 16 swift-water rescues in Queensland as rain totals reached 450mm in some areas before the weather system moved south.
By Hugo Cook ·
A cold front is expected to push severe thunderstorms through New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania this weekend. The system arrives after a week of heavy rain saturated parts of Queensland, prompting the Bureau of Meteorology to issue multiple flood warnings.
The Bureau of Meteorology has placed nine active flood warnings across southern Queensland. Senior meteorologist David Crock stated that severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are forecast for central and eastern Queensland on Saturday. Specific areas at risk include Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma.
The weather pattern has delivered extreme totals in the past week. Several locations recorded more than double their average October rainfall in just a few days. Crock noted that the conditions resemble typical summer weather from January or February rather than the current season.
Rainfall totals in the Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture ranged from 300mm to 400mm over seven days, with some spots reaching 450mm. The heaviest rains fell on Thursday, when torrential showers stretched from Caboolture to the Border Ranges. Some places received well over 200mm in a single day, causing flash flooding and water rescues.
The Queensland fire department conducted more than 16 swift-water rescues during the event. In one instance, crews used a raft to save an elderly man who was holding onto the roof of his vehicle in Caboolture. Hundreds of calls for help reached the State Emergency Service, and several schools closed on Friday.
The cold front will cross New South Wales on Sunday, bringing severe storms to the state's west, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock indicated that the threat of thunderstorms will extend across eastern Australia, with severe conditions likely in a wide area of inland eastern Australia. Parts of Victoria, including Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and central and eastern South Australia may also experience severe storms. Heavy rain is expected to develop overnight into Sunday morning in Tasmania.
Source: The Guardian
