Cyclone watch for parts of Queensland after regions cop year’s rain in one week

Parts of northern Queensland are on cyclone watch after days of enormous rainfall caused widespread flooding.

Authorities are monitoring a tropical low hovering over the Coral Sea that could potentially turn into a cyclone off the Queensland coast near Cairns, in the state’s Far North.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is warning there is currently a low risk of a tropical cyclone forming, with senior meteorologist Angus Hines saying the weather system was being watched closely.

“In terms of timing, it looks most likely like we might start to see this weather system build through the first few days of next week, around Monday and Tuesday,” he said.

“It probably won’t immediately become a major weather system, it will likely stay off the coast during those first few days.

“The potential of actually bringing serious weather onto the country is more likely the end of next week, or maybe the following weekend, where we may see this weather system return towards the coast.”

Mr Hines while the chance of the weather system turning into a tropical cyclone remained an outside shot, they definitely were not discarding it.

“A tropical low is like a weak tropical cyclone and if it keeps building, it keeps intensifying, it keeps strengthening, then eventually it becomes strong enough to reach the tropical cyclone threshold,” he said.

“If we see that becoming a more likely scenario, we’ll ramp up risk messaging and any potential warnings over the next few days.”

Other parts of Queensland continue to be battered by rain and rising river levels that have seen parts of the state swamped by floodwater.

Residents have been put on high alert as floodwater threatens homes and isolates towns, with authorities warning it could take several weeks before river systems drain.

People in Winton, about 1355km northwest of Brisbane, were told to prepare now as major flooding on the Western and Diamantina Rivers was possible with rainfall forecast that could see further river levels rise over the coming days.

“Bridges and low lying roads are being impacted by floodwater,” a spokesman warned.

“You will become isolated until floodwaters recede.

“Inundation of some homes is possible.”

Mr Hines said regions throughout Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Richmond and Julia Creek received one year’s worth of rainfall over the week between Christmas and New Year.

“That’s a whole lot of wet weather,” he said.

“Fortunately, the rain has eased in that area for the moment, although all that rainfall is now working its way through the rivers through Central and Northern Queensland.

“The rivers are very long and the ground is very flat, so it takes a long time for floodwaters to flow through.

“There are rivers which are currently running very high and are expected to continue to run high for several days, but more likely over the next couple of weeks, as these floodwaters slowly make their way out towards The Gulf of Carpentaria.

“Even though the rain has really eased off, we’re still seeing major flooding in the Flinders River and the Western River and moderate flooding along the Norman River and minor flooding through the Georgina River.”

Areas towards the Queensland coast have continued to experience heavy rainfall since Christmas with Ingham, about 110km north of Townsville, receiving 180mm of rain overnight.

Residents at Jerona, about 80km southeast of Townsville, have been cut off by floodwaters.

“Jerona Road is currently impassable due to floodwater,” a spokesman said.

“Motorists must not attempt to enter flooded roads under any circumstances.”

Mr Hines said the stretch of coast between Cairns and Townsville has copped the brunt of the rainfall.

“It’s easing off a little bit at the moment, and for the rest of Saturday the rainfall is expected to be a fair bit more modest, but we could well see some heavier falls return overnight, and then quite a wet day across that coastline on Sunday,” he said.

More areas could get triple figures of rain, with about 100mm expected to fall in coastal areas near Townsville on Sunday.

“That’s probably the biggest centre in the firing line for more heavy rain on Sunday, in terms of flooding along that stretch of coast, there are just a couple of minor flood warnings in place at the moment,” Mr Hines said.

“There’s minor flooding along the Horton River and the Herbert River, but given how wet everything is there now, and with the potential for more rainfall coming in tomorrow, there’s a pretty broad flood watch.

“Wherever that rain is heaviest, it’s pretty hard to pinpoint where it’s going to be heavier, but wherever it’s heaviest, the rivers could rise pretty quickly and levels could shoot up pretty fast.”