Get set for drenching as Penny still lingers
GUMBOOT weather is approaching with Cyclone Penny’s ghost expected to dump daily rainfall of more than 100mm on areas of the Far North.
Residents have been soaking up sunshine at packed-out swimming holes like Josephine Falls in the knowledge a downpour is around the corner.
Penny may no longer be a cyclone, but Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gordon Banks said she was not far off that intensity.
“It’s still pretty close to tropical cyclone strength,” he said.
“It has waxed and waned a little bit, but it is still a relatively good system for a tropical low.
“It’s relatively close now and we don’t expect it to regain strength, but we certainly couldn’t rule it out.
“If we need to give Penny her name back again, we will do so.”
South-easterly winds should pick up south of Cairns today with a slight increase in showers across the North Tropical Coast.
“Tuesday and Wednesday is when we should see the low coming quite close to the coast again and rainfall beginning to ramp up,” Mr Banks said.
“That’s south of Cairns, through the Burdekin and the whole of the coast as well.
“There is a pretty wet spell coming up. There’s potential, especially in locations such as up on the range south of Cairns down to Ingham, of 24hour fall in excess of 100mm over two or three days.”
River flooding in areas around Tully and Ingham will be a risk over the coming days, with catchments not yet drying out from the last big rain.
The bureau has issued warnings for high seas and gale force winds and urged all ships in the area to send weather reports every three hours.
“Potentially the circulation could have periods of pulse intensification, however most guidance would suggest that it will struggle to be at tropical cyclone intensity,” BOM said in a statement.
“Nevertheless, gales are likely to continue on the southern side of the system where deep convection will persist and the pressure gradient will be maintained by a ridge to the south.”
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