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900mm of rain inundates Queensland's North Tropical Coast, more to come

Source Weatherzone Thu 30 Jan 2025

A slow-moving low pressure system has dumped more than 900 mm of rain on parts of Queensland’s North Tropical coast over the last three days, causing flooding and cutting off roads. Northern Qld is no stranger to heavy rain at this time of year due to abundant moisture evaporating off the warm Coral Sea, which provides plenty of fuel for rainfall. But even by local standards, this week’s deluge has been unusually persistent and heavy. The steady soaking has been caused by a relatively weak but near-stationary low pressure system sitting near the North Tropical Coast over the last three days. This system has maintained a constant stream of rain-bearing onshore winds, transporting a deep layer of moisture ashore and resulting in some hefty rainfall totals. Video: Satellite and radar during the 72 hours ending on Thursday morning, showing the low sitting near the coast for three days. Some areas between Cairns and Innisfail have seen around 600 to 900 mm of rain during the 72 hours ending at 9am on Thursday, January 30. This included 904 mm at Mount Sophia and 828 mm at Clyde Road, which are both located near the Russell River Unsurprisingly, the Russell River was one of many waterways to experience flooding this week, with warnings still in place for minor to moderate flooding in some catchments as of 9am AEST on Thursday. Flooding has also cut off a number of roads between Tully and Cairns. Image: Observed rainfall during the 72 hours ending at 9am AEST on Thursday. Rain will be lighter over Qld's sodden North Tropical Coast on Thursday as the heaviest falls shift further south towards the state’s Central Coast. However, heavy rain is expected to return to the North Tropical Coast from the weekend and may persist into the first half of next week. There is also potential for more widespread rain to affect northern Qld from this weekend into next week, associated with a likely monsoon trough and tropical lows, along with the potential for one or more cyclones. Some computer models suggest that another 500 to 1000mm of rain could fall along parts of the North Tropical Coast by the middle of next week. As this next surge of rain will be falling on already saturated ground, further flooding is likely, and transport disruptions are expected to continue from this weekend into next week. Image: Forecast accumulated rain during the next seven days, according to the ECMWF-HRES model. This is a dynamic weather pattern and forecast details may change in the coming days. Be sure to check the latest forecasts and warnings for the most up-to-date information in your area. For information on road closures, visit the Qld Traffic website. Image: Observation History on the Weatherzone app for Innisfail, Qld, to 9am AEST on January 30, 2025. - Weatherzone © Weatherzone 2025