Eastern Australia: Storm Front Follows Queensland Downpours

Residents in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania should expect severe weather this weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has issued warnings for heavy rain, flash flooding, and severe thunderstorms in these regions. Meanwhile, southern Queensland remains under nine active flood warnings after receiving a large volume of rain earlier in the week.

Senior BoM meteorologist David Crock stated that severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected at several locations in central and eastern Queensland on Saturday. These locations include Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma. Crock noted that the region is experiencing extensive rainfall and storms following a particularly wet week.

The weather pattern shifts as a cold front crosses New South Wales on Sunday. This movement brings severe thunderstorms to western New South Wales, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock indicated that the threat of thunderstorms extends across eastern Australia, with severe storms likely to impact a wide area of inland eastern Australia. In Victoria, severe storms may affect parts of Melbourne's eastern suburbs and central and eastern South Australia. Tasmania is expected to see heavy rain develop overnight into Sunday morning.

The current forecast follows a period of extreme rainfall in Queensland where several areas received more than double their average October rainfall over a few days. Crock described the conditions as typical of summer months like January or February, rather than late October. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded seven-day rainfall totals between 300mm and 400mm, with some areas reaching 450mm.

Crock attributed the high totals to a persistent weather pattern that drew in large amounts of moisture. This buildup occurred over seven to 10 days across Queensland and northern New South Wales. The heaviest falls occurred on Thursday, when torrential rain stretched from Caboolture to the Border Ranges. Some places in that corridor received well over 200mm.

The downpour on Thursday caused flash flooding, water rescues, and hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools were forced to close on Friday due to the conditions. The Queensland fire department carried out more than 16 swift-water rescues during the event. In one incident, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man who was clinging to the roof of his vehicle at Caboolture.