BOM Forecasts More Rain for Australia

Article by: Hari Yellina

Central Queensland landowners are in for another another deluge this weekend, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Showers will intensify into widespread “moderate rainfall” in central and south-east Queensland on Friday and Saturday, according to Brooke Pagel of the Bureau of Meteorology. From Friday, a flood watch has been issued for catchments between Rockhampton and Caboolture in the event of minor flooding. “We could get up to 25 to 50 millimetres in certain locations overnight,” she said, referring to the area between Mackay and Bundaberg. On Friday, up to 10mm of rain is anticipated in Emerald, Moranbah, and Gayndah. Rain could reach Tambo and Hughenden on Saturday, according to Ms Pagel, but the focus was on the east.

“We do have a fairly strong indication of those big falls, maybe up to 100mm in certain regions, potentially between Rockhampton and Bundaberg, and to K’Gari Fraser Island as well,” Ms Pagel said. “We’re looking at most of Queensland’s coastal region, from the North Tropical Coast down, and there are also high wind warnings linked with it.” “The Mary River and the upper streams of the lower Brisbane River are the key catchments we’re watching, since they’re still progressively relaxing and draining out.”

After numerous floods this year, Brad Wedlock, operations manager for the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee, said landowners in the Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast districts were “battle weary.” “All we want is for it to stop raining for a while and dry out,” he remarked. “These things happen every couple of years, not every month,” says the author. Mr Wedlock said many people were fearful of additional rain after having little time to recuperate from the devastation caused by this year’s floods. “With each of these events, we just keep shattering records all over the catchment,” he said. “Let’s hope the fourth flood in four months isn’t as bad as the ones we had last week or in February.”

Between last week’s rain and now, Emerald farmer Renee Anderson rushed to collect her mung bean crop. “The risk is that if we don’t get it off, it gradually becomes worse and worse till it sprouts,” she explained. “If the rain that is predicted comes in, there will be some delays.” While the rain was much needed after “seven long, hot, dry years,” some farmers were hurt. “It was bad timing with harvest and a lot of various crops in the area that were just about to be plucked,” Ms Anderson explained. “It would’ve been wonderful to wait a few of weeks after such a dry six months.”