RECORD RAIN

TROPICAL NORTH GETS SOAKED:

SHOWERS are expected to ease today after record-breaking rainfall and thunderstorms caused widespread disruption across the Far North.

The region’s sugar mills and some council facilities were forced to shut as falls up to 250mm and lightning strikes hammered the region.

More than 14,000 residents and businesses were without power as Ergon Energy scrambled to fix fallen power lines and other issues.

Cairns Airport copped 125mm – the heaviest October downpour in three years – while an 87-year-old daily record for the month was broken at Cardwell, 180km south of Cairns.

The fishing town received 185mm in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has tipped Cairns to receive up to 25mm today.

Forecaster Harry Clark said it was definitely an unusual weather event for October, which averages 46.6mm for monthly rainfall totals in Cairns.

“This time of the year you expect dry conditions heading in to the wet season,” he said

“Most of the time we are starting to see the thunderstorm activity build up inland, it is not usually reaching this part of the coast – that upper low is quite unusual.”

Innisfail has received 159mm and is forecast to get another 40mm today.

Mr Clark said an upper low, which is a large amount of cooler air in the upper atmosphere, provided instability to weather and helped “drive the storms”.

Further south, Ingham recorded the heaviest October rain in 50 years with 112mm and South Johnstone copped the most rain since January this year with 126mm.

Mr Clark said the “real intense” thunderstorm activity should be over.

“There could still be thunderstorms but not to the magnitude that we have seen,” he said.

The deluge caused the Peets Bridge section of the Mulgrave River to peak at 4.33m and 10.1m at Gordonvale before falling in the afternoon.

Sugar mills were closed after lightning strikes raised safety concerns and hampered harvesting.

Cook Shire Council had to cancel its meeting at Coen due the road conditions, while Cairns Regional Council closed Babinda Waste Transfer Station. Edmonton Library and Hambledon House also shut due to power outages.

MOST OF THE TIME WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY BUILD UP INLAND, IT IS NOT USUALLY REACHING THIS PART OF THE COAST – THAT UPPER LOW IS QUITE UNUSUAL FORECASTER HARRY CLARK

EPIC DAMAGE: Mareeba Shire Council assessed damage at Black Mountain Rd, Julatten, after a section of the road was washed away in heavy rains.

REPAIR JOB: Damage to Black Mountain Rd, Julatten.

SPLASH: A vehicle goes through water on Lower Freshwater Rd and visitors in Cairns shelter under umbrellas.