450mm Rainfall Total Triggers 16 Water Rescues in Queensland

Queensland absorbed 450mm of rain in some areas before a new storm system moves east.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. The agency also maintained nine flood warnings for southern Queensland. Senior meteorologist David Crock stated that severe weather was expected in Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma on Saturday.

A cold front crosses New South Wales on Sunday, bringing severe thunderstorms to Sydney, Brisbane, and western New South Wales. Crock noted that the threat extends across eastern Australia, including north eastern Victoria. In Tasmania, heavy rain is forecast to develop overnight into Sunday morning. Parts of Melbourne's eastern suburbs and central South Australia may also face severe storms.

This forecast follows a week of extreme rainfall in Queensland where several areas received more than double their average October precipitation. Crock described the conditions as typical of January or February rather than late autumn. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded seven day rainfall totals between 300mm and 400mm. Some specific locations reached the 450mm mark as moisture persisted for seven to ten days.

Thursday brought the heaviest falls, with torrential rain stretching from Caboolture to the Border Ranges. Some places received well over 200mm in a single day. The downpour caused flash flooding, water rescues, and hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools closed on Friday due to the weather conditions.

The Queensland fire department conducted more than 16 swift water rescues during the event. In one incident, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man clinging to the roof of his vehicle at Caboolture.