Hopes storms will bring bumper rain
WARWICK and the wider region is set to get its first taste of this year’s storm season, with a system to bring rain and thunderstorms with rainfall totals of up to 70mm.
The latest forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology indicated the trough moving across into Queensland this week would hit regions across the state’s south from Wednesday.
BOM meteorologist Helen Kirkup said residents in Warwick and the Granite Belt could begin to see some light rainfall overnight Wednesday, with the system ramping up into heavier rain and potential thunderstorms later in the week.
“For the Granite Belt and (Southern) Downs it’s possibly more Thursday and into Friday, and over those two days the current estimates are 20mm to even 50mm, as it probably gets enhanced as it goes over the ranges,” Ms Kirkup said.
“Broadly speaking, there’s probably 30mm to 50mm the further south you are, the greater chance of getting rainfall there is.
“Depending on where the thunderstorms go, people under thunderstorms could easily see 60mm to 70mm.”
With Warwick sitting at only 5.6mm rainfall for September compared to a monthly average of 32.7mm, the downpour could prove the boost needed to break the area’s months-long dry spell.
It would be a similar story for residents across the Granite Belt, with BOM’s rain gauge at Applethorpe so far recording only 4.4mm of a 40mm average.
Ms Kirkup said even though it was as yet unclear how severe any thunderstorms would be, this week’s system would be the region’s
DEPENDING ON WHERE THE THUNDERSTORMS GO, PEOPLE COULD EASILY SEE 60MM TO 70MM.”
first taste of summer storms.
“It probably is the first big outbreak in that regard. In terms of the storminess, I think it’s the biggest kind from Victoria up into Queensland that could see something,” she said.
The potentially significant rain and thunderstorms come only a week after the region experienced snow on the Granite Belt and was declared a “very high” fire risk by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
Forecasts from BOM and Weatherzone indicate the wet weather was unlikely to bring significantly warmer temperatures with it.
Warwick’s daytime maximums were expected to remain at 22C before reaching 24C on Friday, while Stanthorpe would remain slightly cooler with peak temperatures of 19C before hitting 22C by Friday. Overnight lows are set to drop into single digits across the region.
HELEN KIRKUP