Brace for battering

Rain dump set to topple record

AN unseasonable deluge was expected to deliver up to 200mm while battering the Townsville region on Tuesday night and for the first half of Wednesday.

While there is a great deal of unpredictability around the behaviour of the weather system, the Bureau of Meteorology expects Townsville’s May rainfall record of 180mm to tumble.

At 5pm on Tuesday the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall for people in Herbert and Lower Burdekin, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, where sixhourly rainfall totals between 60mm and 100mm were likely.

After receiving 12mm overnight on Monday, Townsville had received another 11mm by 7pm on Tuesday.

Senior meteorologist Harry Clark expected between 100mm and 200mm of rain to fall before midday on Wednesday, which could be even higher if there was stationary thunderstorm activity.

There was a “slight risk” of intense rainfall developing around the coastline overnight, which could lead to high-end rainfall and lifethreatening flash flooding.

“Essentially, there’s two parts to the (weather) story,” Mr Clark said.

“One is a big upper trough to the west, that’s really widespread creating a lot of uplift, causing the entire region of Queensland to be raining at the moment.

“As it gets close to the coast, it induces a coastal trough, a localised area where we start seeing heavy rainfall focus around it.

“It’s very much the next 12-18 hours that is the main risk.”

He said the coastal trough was expected to develop in the early hours of Wednesday morning somewhere between Ingham and Ayr, creating the conditions for heavy rainfall.

With a gale warning in place along the Townsville coast on Wednesday, Mr Clark warned boaties to stay off the water. By noon on Wednesday, he expected the system to shift south-eastward down the coastline or offshore.

Townsville mayor Jenny Hill expressed concern about the potential for heavy rain and flash flooding impacting vulnerable areas that weren’t protected by the Ross Dam, like the Bohle catchment.

“Which is why we’ve encouraged those people who live in areas that are prone to flash flooding to take advantage of sandbags and to prepare their homes,” Ms Hill said.

“The lower Bohle bridge went under after the April 25 event.”

Given that the dry season was when road works were usually undertaken, she warned motorists to leave early and to prepare for delays where roadworks were under way around the city, including on Ingham Rd and Charters Towers Rd.

Ms Hill reminded the community that “if it’s flooded, forget it”.