Queensland residents brace for second wave after 450mm deluge

For many residents in southeastern Queensland, the rain is not stopping. After a week of persistent downpours, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecasts severe thunderstorms and heavy rain across most Australian states this weekend. The new weather system adds pressure to regions already saturated by extreme rainfall.

The BoM has issued warnings for severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and flash flooding in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. In southern Queensland, nine flood warnings remain active. Senior meteorologist David Crock noted that central and eastern Queensland, including Rockhampton, Gladstone, and Bundaberg, will see severe storms on Saturday. "There's plenty of rain across the south-east, as well as plenty of showers and storms and rain across much of Queensland as well, after what's already been a really wet week," he said.

The impact extends beyond Queensland. Parts of Victoria, including Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and central and eastern South Australia may face severe storms. Tasmania is expected to see heavy rain developing overnight into Sunday morning. A cold front will cross New South Wales on Sunday, bringing severe thunderstorms to western NSW, northeastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock stated that the threat of thunderstorms would extend across eastern Australia, with severe storms likely throughout inland eastern Australia.

This forecast follows a week of extreme rainfall in Queensland, where several areas recorded more than double their average October precipitation. Crock described the conditions as typical of January or February, rather than the current season. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture experienced flash flooding, with seven-day rainfall totals ranging from 300mm to 400mm, and some areas reaching 450mm. He attributed the intensity to a persistent weather pattern that drew in large amounts of moisture over seven to 10 days across Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The heaviest falls occurred on Thursday, when torrential rain stretched from Caboolture south to the Border Ranges. Some locations received well over 200mm, causing flash flooding and prompting hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools closed on Friday in response to the conditions. The Queensland fire department conducted more than 16 swift-water rescues during the peak of the storm.

In one rescue at Caboolture, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man clinging to the roof of his vehicle. The incident underscored the intensity of the flooding in the region as the new cold front approaches the eastern states.