Communities across northern Queensland are bracing for a significant and prolonged flooding event, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing flood watches and warning of multiple days of heavy, widespread rain set to intensify from Friday and through the weekend.
Multi-Day Deluge Raises Major Flood Risk
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has flagged a serious flood threat for parts of the state's north-western and north-east tropical coast. Senior meteorologist Felim Hanniffy stated the situation is particularly dangerous because many areas have already experienced several days of widespread showers and storm activity.
"When we get multiple days of widespread, potentially heavy rainfall with locally intense falls, that significantly increases the risk of flash and riverine flooding," Hanniffy warned. "This could potentially lead to a protracted flood event across parts of northern Queensland."
Weather Systems Converge for Intense Rainfall
The severe weather is being driven by a tropical low embedded in a monsoon trough lying over northwest Queensland. BOM forecasts indicate this low will deepen and slowly drift southeast over the coming days.
This system, combined with deep tropical moisture, is expected to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls on Friday and Saturday. The rainfall is then predicted to become more widespread and potentially intense from Sunday, continuing into next week.
Along the east coast, a separate coastal trough is forecast to move north and become slow-moving from Sunday between Ayr and Cairns, leading to prolonged heavy rainfall for coastal areas.
Communities on High Alert
The flood watch area includes several communities still recovering from previous disasters. Townsville and Ingham, which were hit by devastating floods less than twelve months ago, are again in the warning zone. The watch extends as far west as Mount Isa and Cloncurry.
Experts note that river level rises are already occurring in some northwest Queensland catchments, with flooding possible from as early as Saturday. By Sunday, heavy to intense rainfall may trigger rapid and dangerous river level rises in Gulf catchments and the upper parts of the Georgina and Diamantina Rivers.
BOM advises that the exact location of the heaviest rainfall remains uncertain and will depend on the movement of the trough. There is also uncertainty surrounding the duration of the event, though models currently suggest it may weaken by the middle to latter part of next week.
"The uncertainty is just how long it will persist and where it moves as well," Hanniffy said regarding the monsoon low.
Residents in the affected regions are urged to stay informed through official BOM warnings and local emergency services, and to prepare for potential flooding impacts over the coming days.
