Severe Storms Hit Four States as Queensland Recovers From 450mm Rain

Australia faces a second wave of severe weather this weekend as a cold front pushes storms into four states.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued warnings for severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and flash flooding in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. The agency also maintained nine flood warnings for southern Queensland.

Senior BoM meteorologist David Crock stated that central and eastern Queensland would experience severe thunderstorms on Saturday. He identified Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma as key locations for the rain. Crock noted that the south-east would see substantial rainfall, adding to the wet conditions already present across much of Queensland.

The cold front is scheduled to cross New South Wales on Sunday. This system will bring severe thunderstorms to the western part of the state, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock said the threat of thunderstorms would extend across eastern Australia, with severe storms likely in a wide area of inland eastern Australia. Parts of Victoria, including Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and central and eastern South Australia are also under threat.

These forecasts follow a week of extreme rainfall in Queensland where several areas received more than double their average October rainfall. Crock described the conditions as typical of summer months like January or February rather than October. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded seven-day rainfall totals between 300mm and 400mm, with some areas reaching 450mm. Crock pointed to the persistent weather pattern that drew in large amounts of moisture, building totals over seven to 10 days across Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The heaviest falls occurred on Thursday when torrential rain stretched from Caboolture south to the Border Ranges. Some places received well over 200mm of rain. The downpour caused flash flooding, water rescues, and hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools were forced to close on Friday.

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