Forecast a mixed bag

TOOWOOMBA and the Darling Downs should be prepared for a cool but wet summer as a La Nina system strengthens in the Pacific Ocean.

University of Southern Queensland Climate Science Professor Roger Stone said the seasonal forecast included reasonable rainfall during the summer.

“We have a La Nina pattern in the Pacific Ocean,” Professor Stone said.

“Whenever we have these pattens, we have to be aware of the potential for excessive rain.

“In terms of risk management, it’s better that we’re prepared for the potential for occasional very heavy falls within these sorts of situations.”

The last La Nina to have a significant impact on Toowoomba was in 2010 into 2011 when floods tore through the city and Lockyer Valley regions.

After tracking from Tasmania in August with the weather pattern first predicted in May 2010, heavy rains and flooding hit Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley in seven months.

Early La Nina detection to allow for better preparation has become almost the norm in the wake of the floods.

Professor Stone said a La Nina did not automatically herald a repeat of major flooding in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley, but awareness of its potential was critical.

“The key thing is we had one in 2010-11, had a few before and some since, so we have to be on our guard in case of excessive rain,” he said.