Cold Front Targets Eastern States After Queensland Floods
Bureau of Meteorology predicts severe thunderstorms for major cities following a week of extreme rainfall that triggered hundreds of emergency calls.
By Nadia Almasi ·
Severe thunderstorms are set to sweep across eastern Australia this weekend, adding to the water damage already sustained in Queensland. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. Nine specific flood warnings remain active for southern Queensland.
Senior meteorologist David Crock stated that heavy rain and severe storms are expected in central and eastern Queensland on Saturday. These conditions will impact Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma. Crock noted that the region has endured a very wet week, with persistent moisture drawing in large totals over seven to ten days across Queensland and northern New South Wales.
The weather pattern resembles typical summer conditions rather than October norms. Several areas have recorded more than double their average monthly rainfall in just a few days. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture saw seven-day totals between 300mm and 400mm. Some specific locations reached 450mm of rain.
Thursday brought the heaviest downpour, with torrential rain stretching from Caboolture to the Border Ranges. Some places recorded well over 200mm in that single period. The intense rain caused flash flooding and prompted hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools were forced to close on Friday due to the conditions.
Emergency crews responded to the flooding with swift-water rescues. The Queensland fire department carried out more than 16 such operations. In one instance in Caboolture, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man clinging to the roof of his vehicle.
A cold front is scheduled to cross New South Wales on Sunday. This front will bring severe thunderstorms to western New South Wales, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock said the threat of thunderstorms will extend right across eastern Australia. Severe storms are likely to affect a wide part of inland eastern Australia.
Parts of Victoria, including Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and central and eastern South Australia may also face severe storms. In Tasmania, heavy rain is expected to develop overnight into Sunday morning. The forecast indicates that most Australian states will experience significant weather activity over the weekend.
Source: The Guardian
