Queensland absorbs 450mm of rain before cold front hits Sydney and Melbourne

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania on Friday. Nine additional flood warnings remained active for southern Queensland as the storm system approached.

Senior BoM meteorologist David Crock stated that severe thunderstorms and heavy rain were expected at multiple locations in central and eastern Queensland on Saturday. These areas include Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma. Crock noted that the region had already experienced a very wet week, with rain continuing across the south-east and much of the state.

The weather pattern shifted with a cold front crossing New South Wales on Sunday. This front brought severe thunderstorms to western New South Wales, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock explained that the threat of thunderstorms extended across eastern Australia, with severe storms likely in a wide part of inland eastern states. In Tasmania, heavy rain was forecast to develop overnight into Sunday morning.

The forecast followed a week 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 October. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded seven-day rainfall totals between 300mm and 400mm, with some specific areas reaching 450mm.

Torrential rain on Thursday stretched from Caboolture south to the Border Ranges, delivering over 200mm in some locations. The downpour triggered flash flooding, water rescues, and hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools in the affected areas were forced to close on Friday due to the weather conditions.

The Queensland fire department conducted more than 16 swift-water rescues during the period. In one incident, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man who was clinging to the roof of his vehicle in Caboolture.