Heavens open as monsoon system brings CQ deluge...
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IT IS three months late, but the annual monsoon trough that delivers the bulk of summer rainfall has arrived with force.
A deluge of rain across Central Queensland coming from a monsoonal low sitting over the Northern Territory dropped falls of 233mm in Glenella over the two days with 185mm falling in the 24 hours to Sunday 9am.
This was the highest rainfall total recorded across Queensland on that day.
Heavy falls further west were a welcome relief for those living on the land.
While the towns of Moranbah, Clermont and Blackwater missed the bulk of the rainfall in the past seven day, recording 68mm, 79mm and 59mm respectively, nearby rain gauges recorded seven-day totals of more than 100mm.
Bee Creek, Rubyvale Rd and Blackdown Tablelands recorded 156mm, 123mm and 132mm respectively.
Susan Appleton celebrated falls of more than 80mm on her cattle property at Native Bee, near Clermont.
The heavy rain across Central Queensland caused flash flooding and a number of roads were closed across Mackay, Blackwater, Clermont and Moranbah.
Native Bee grazier Susan Appleton said “unbelievable” rainfall had filled a number of dams on her property 17km west of Clermont.
Mrs Appleton said this rain was the most significant since about March last year.
BOM forecaster Kimba Wong said a tropical low forming near the Gulf of Carpentaria would cause wet conditions across northern Queensland.
“We have a tropical low pressure system which is drawing in a really deep, moist air mass over the state,” she said.
“We are expecting some very heavy rainfall to start coming out of those showers and thunderstorms.”
The annual monsoon trough delivers the bulk of northern Australian’s rainfall and was delayed by a strong tropical weather driver over the Indian Ocean.
The positive Indian Ocean Dipole meant waters over Northern Australia were cooler than normal. The cooler temperatures slowed evaporation rate and less water was in the atmosphere to create rain.
Ms Wong said a monsoon trough was expected to form next week around Cape York and extend out into the Coral Sea.
Wet weather is forecast to continue into next week with areas including Mackay, Moranbah, Emerald, Longreach to Boulia were expected get heavy rainfall totals between 50-100mm.