Queensland emergency crews rescue 16 people as rain totals hit 450mm
A cold front is expected to bring severe thunderstorms to four states this weekend, following a week of extreme rainfall that caused flash flooding in the southeast.
By Alessia Desai ·
The Bureau of Meteorology issued severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania on Thursday. These alerts coincide with nine active flood warnings for southern Queensland, where emergency services are still responding to the effects of a week of heavy rain.
The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded seven-day rainfall totals between 300mm and 400mm. Some specific locations in the region reached 450mm. Senior meteorologist David Crock noted that the weather pattern was unusual for October, resembling conditions more typical of January or February. The persistent moisture drew in large amounts of water over a seven to ten day period across Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Torrential rain fell on Thursday, stretching from Caboolture south to the Border Ranges. Some places received over 200mm in that single period. The downpour triggered flash flooding and prompted hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools closed on Friday due to the 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 who was clinging to the roof of his vehicle in Caboolture.
Crock forecast that severe thunderstorms and heavy rain would hit Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma on Saturday. The cold front is scheduled to cross New South Wales on Sunday. This system will bring severe thunderstorms to western New South Wales, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane.
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. Crock stated that the threat of thunderstorms would extend across eastern Australia, with severe storms likely across a wide part of inland eastern Australia.
