BROLLIES GET A BRIEF SHOW
TOWNSVILLE got a decent downpour of rain yesterday but it appears to have been an anomaly with hot and dry conditions expected for the rest of the week.
Firefighters continue to battle blazes north and west of the city and have been praying for rain since bushfires first began tearing through properties more than a week ago. With most of the region’s crews currently fighting a fire in Bluewater, men and women on the ground would have been gutted to learn just 2mm of rain fell on the fire grounds yesterday, while the city received almost 13mm.
Bureau of Meteorology predictions have a 30 per cent chance of rain today but even if the skies do open, the showers are not ex- pected to be substantial.
Meteorologist Aditi Sharan said the chance of rain dropped to between 0 and 5 per cent from tomorrow for the rest of the week.
Ms Sharan said conditions would also be hot and dry, increasing the challenge facing firefighters.
“During ( today) the humidity will be 40- 50 per cent,” she said.
“It will dry out further on Thursday and that trend continues for the weekend.”
Temperatures will float about the high 20s for most of the week with Thursday the only day expected to crack 30C.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said firefighting crews were rotating where possible to give those battling the blazes some rest.