FNQ’S STORM FORCE
Forecasters tip more wild weather after lightning cuts power
FAR Northern residents are being warned to brace for more storms today with the possibility of further power cuts.
The region was lashed by lightning, thunder and heavy rain yesterday.
Ergon Energy recorded more than 35,000 lightning strikes within 100km of the Cairns depot, cutting power to 9000 properties. But the Bureau of Meteorology is expecting a repeat, if not even more wild weather.
Forecaster David Crock said the storm activity was expected to peak today.
The storms also brought an unusual sight to the tropics with small hailstones falling at Little Mulgrave to the southwest of Cairns.
THE wild weather that lashed the Far North, cutting power to more than 9000 homes on Boxing Day, is set to be back with a bang today.
The Bureau of Meteorology expects a stormy spell to reach its peak before easing off over the weekend and into Monday.
Forecaster David Crock said: “Expect plenty more showers coming off the ocean (today), developing from midday into the night.
“Expect similar patterns until Monday, with (today) as the peak day,” he said.
Afternoon storms dumped 135mm at Flat Rock near Chillagoe between 9am and 6.30pm yesterday. Most of that rain came after 3pm.
Battlecamp near Cooktown recorded 60mm, while Telegraph Crossing near Lockhart River got 58mm and Silver River near Herberton received 36mm. Closer to the coast, Cairns racecourse recorded 16mm, Innisfail 12mm and the Daintree just 2mm.
Ergon calculated 35,000 lightning strikes in the Far North, with more than 9000 homes losing power. Crews worked throughout the day to restore connections.
An Ergon spokeswoman said the power outages were mostly caused by damage from lightning strikes, which tripped circuit breakers on the network.
“We had 26 crew members involved in the emergency response across multiple locations,”
Follow live weather updates she said. “While we did not have reports of fallen powerlines in the Cairns area, we ask everyone to take care and stay line aware during storm season.”
Parts of Cairns received hail – a common sight down south near Brisbane but a rare one in the Far North.
Little Mulgrave resident Louisa Way said she had seen hail only twice in the 40 years she’d lived in the region.
“My husband has lived here for 62 years and has seen it three times,” Ms Way said.
“There was a hailstorm in the 1980s that was pretty spectacular for here, where the ground was covered in small hail, but it was very short-lived.”
While the size of the hail Ms Way received can be compared to a little fingernail, it still provided excitement for her. She’s also pleased about the rain that has blanketed the region.
“Hallelujah, what a lovely Christmas present,” Ms Way said. “Wish we could send some down south to those who desperately need it and to put out the fires.”
By noon, the early storms had passed through the region but another wave swept in during the afternoon.
According to the Bureau of
Meteorology, the reason for the storm activity was an upper trough that lingered in the southeast of the state, combined with a deepening surface trough that moved northwards along the east coast.
The same upper trough was responsible for similar thunderstorm activity earlier in the week down south.
Today, the upper trough is forecast to drift further north and weaken, but deep moisture in the low levels will still lead to unstable conditions.
“That’s going to be happening as the trough off the coast of Mackay moves north, bringing a lot of wet weather with it,” Mr Crock said.
The bureau expects Cairns to reach a maximum of 31C, with up to 20mm of rain to fall this morning.