Tablelands wild weather gives hint of heat reprieve

WILD weather has wreaked havoc on the Far North after a mini-cyclone ripped through the Atherton Tablelands.

The unexpected storm brought hail, winds up to 100km/h and rain after weeks of extremely hot and dry conditions.

Atherton man Neil Clarke was enjoying a warm day at home yesterday afternoon when the freak storm whipped through the Tablelands town, bringing a trampoline with it.

It was just one of the strange objects the wind kicked through towns between Ravenshoe and Mareeba.

“Our neighbour had a trampoline that got caught up in the wind,” Mr Clarke explained. “It hit the fence and then went about 150m down the road.”

He said the weather change was a freak occurrence.

“I haven’t experienced any storm like this and I’ve lived here for a lifetime,” he said.

“There were cyclonic winds, and some of the hail was big enough to break through the windows at Atherton State High School.”

Barbecues were also lifted from backyards in Tolga.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Harry Clark said the wind gusts were extremely strong.

“There has been hail, and winds have been recorded up to 85km/h, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the gusts were much higher,” he said.

Mr Clark said hail on the Tablelands was “unlikely but not unprecedented”.

“We do see hail,” he said. “You need a strong updraft and the hail needs to come down fast, so it remains frozen.”

He said there would be an increase in storm activity across the Cairns and Tablelands area over the next couple of days, but that a severe thunderstorm warning from yesterday had been cancelled.

At the peak of the storm 19,000 homes across the Tablelands lost power.

“We have crews out patrolling the network to find faults and begin repairing storm damage to the electricity network on the Atherton Tablelands,” an Ergon Energy spokeswoman said.

“Crews have begun repairing the Atherton-Evelyn feeder line after the tower was struck by lightning, bringing down conductors.”

She said people had to be aware of their surroundings.

“The first priority for our crews is to make areas safe. People should stay well away from fallen powerlines,” she said.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the past seven days had been hellish for Queenslanders, with more wild weather to come.

“Although forecasts indicate that fewer cyclones may develop this season, it only takes one to cause severe damage,” he said. “By taking preventive steps early, you can reduce the risk of damage.”

He said people living across the Far North should head to www.daf.qld.gov.au to access natural disaster guides or to getready.qld.gov.au.

Information is also available for assistance after a natural disaster from the Queensland Farmers’ Federation www.qff.org.au