• Have you anything to add to these stories? Or even a new story? Contact me at wbc@ozemail.com.au
• Times stated are the clock time in force in the relevant state or territory
• Stories, including those in the archives, are as new and corrected information becomes available, with updates underlined

Acknowledgments: Australian Weather News gratefully acknowledges the Bureau of Meteorology as the collector and main source of meteorological data in Australia, along with the thousands of observers who record the weather and rainfall daily. I also thank Don White, Michael Bath, Jimmy Deguara, Jacob Aufdemkampe , and Michael Thompson who routinely provide me with much appreciated information.

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Another cold morning in NSW and Victoria

Records for cold mornings fell again in western Victoria this morning, and late-season frosts spread into southern NSW. Nhill in far western Victoria, which broke its October minimum temperature record last Wednesday, broke its November minimum record this morning with a reading of -1.2. The previous record, in 41 years of computer data, was 0.5C. Horsham nudged its record, too, with a minimum of 0.5 beating the previous 0.7 in 36 years computer data. In NSW, Goulburn City recorded 0.4. All three recordings were around 9 or 10 below average. In the ACT, Canberra Airport recorded minus 1, just 1 degree shy of its record November low.

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Cold again in NSW and Victoria

Clear skies, light winds and low humidity again produced record low minima temperatures for November, mostly in the southeast of the continent. New records set in the computerised record (with previous record, and years of computer data in brackets) were: Cape Byron 5.0 (9.5 over 19 years), Jervis Bay 3.9 (6.0 over 39 years), Corryong 0.6 (1.0 over 23 years), Noojee -0.1 (0.5 over 13 years) and Scoresby 1.5 (2.0 over 30 years). Some of these stations have records stretching back to the 1890s, however comparisons are only available for records entered into the computer database.

Heavy rain on Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island airport recorded 51mm in the 6 hours to 9am this morning as a frontal system approached the island. 21mm fell in the hour to 9am.

Heavy storms on Cape York Peninsula and southeast WA

Heavy storms with cloud tops to around 60,000 feet developed rapidly on the western side of Cape York Peninsula mid afternoon and drifted east, dissipating during the evening. An unconfirmed report of 142mm falling between noon and 3pm was received from the weather station at Kowanyama, about 300km south of Weipa, with present weather at 3pm given as heavy thunderstorm; however the station did not report any rain in the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday. Satellite pictures indicate that a storm could have been in the area at 3pm, but in the absence of other reports, we will have to wait for the station's field books to come into the Bureau for confirmation.

In the southeast of Western Australia, heavy thunderstorms were generated by a passing trough and stagnating cold front during the afternoon and night. Between 9am and 3pm, Balgair, near Rawlinna, registered 15mm and Eyre 23mm, while Forrest reported wind gusts to 83km/h at 12.05pm and Warburton 85km/h at 7.43pm. A further bout of heavy rain between 3 and 6am Tuesday gave Balgair a further 30mm, for a 24 hour to 9am total on Tuesday of 53.8mm, a November record for this station which began recording in 1982. Eyre reported a total of 43mm for the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday, beating its previous November record of 31.6 in 47 years of computerised records.

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Thunderstorm activity over NT top end increases

Thunderstorm activity has increased over Indonesia, the Timor Sea and northern Australia, with some heavy storm falls reported from the Top End of the Northern Territory today. Bradshaw in the Territory's northwest registered 106mm in 7 hours to 9am, while between 9 last night and 3 this morning, Katherine recorded 59mm and nearby Tindal 41.

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Widespread thunderstorms in southeast Australia

An approaching cold front coupled with a complex set of surface troughs ahead of it caused widespread thundery activity over SA, NSW and Victoria today, whilst gales were reported at exposed locations in Tasmania.

In South Australia, storms were prolonged but not particularly severe. Adelaide experienced continuous thunder and lightning from late last night until about 4 this morning, while in the state's north, the observer at Mt Dare reported that storms lasted all night and until 11am. In NSW, there were isolated heavy falls and heavy thunderstorms reported. Overnight storms yielded 37.4mm at Blackville on the Northwest Slopes, and 34mm at Dunedoo on the Central Western Slopes. Dubbo Airport recorded 14mm in the hour to 6pm, while storms brought unusually heavy rain to Canberra and the Southern Tablelands early evening, with 18mm at Tuggeranong, 16 at Canberra Airport and 15 at Thredbo Crackenback between 6 and 9pm. Storms then moved to the Sydney area, with the Airport and Mt Boyce in the Blue Mountains both recording 12mm between 9pm and midnight. In Victoria, a band of storms moving across the state during the day gave scattered places a short period of torrential rain and strong wind gusts. Eildon Fire Warning Tower, for example, recorded a gust of 85km/h and 5mm of rain in 10 minutes at 2.45pm. Heaviest rain fell in the Alps, with Mt Buller recording 12mm, Falls Creek 15 and Mt Hotham 18mm between 6 and 9pm. In Tasmania, gales and strong winds accompanied the passage of the front. Top gusts reported were 104km/h several times between 10 and 11pm at Keogh's Pimple in the Hartze Mountains south of Hobart, and 95km/h on the summit of Mount Wellington four times between 10pm and midnight, with a further gust to 111km/h at 4am Sunday.

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Storms continue in northeastern NSW 1 Dec 98

The slow-moving trough/front system responsible for yesterday's storms delivered further heavy falls across the northeastern half of NSW today. Taree on the NSW Mid North Coast scored nearly 3 inches from a late afternoon storm and continuing showers overnight. In the 24 hours to 9am Monday, the Airport recorded 71mm and Radio 2RE in town 55.4mm. Paul Moss, located 10km northeast of Taree recorded 55mm between 3 and 5pm, while the automatic gauge at the Airport registered 39mm between 3 and 6pm, 7.4mm falling in 10 minutes to 4pm. Some other heavy reports from the 3-hourly synoptic network were 30mm from near-continuous storms between 3 and 9pm at Coffs Harbour, 18mm between 9am and noon at Nullo Mountain in the Upper Hunter, 19mm between noon and 3pm at Bathurst Airport of which 5mm fell in 10 minutes to 1.46pm, and 21mm in one hour to 3pm at Mt Boyce near Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. Earlier in the day, Blackville on the Northwest Slopes recorded 31.2mm for the 24 hours to 9 this morning from storms yesterday and overnight, bringing the town's two-day total from storms to 68.6mm.

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Heavy storms across Australia's top end

Isolated very heavy rain fell, mostly with pre-wet season thunderstorms, in far north WA, NT and Qld today. In the Kimberley district of WA, Halls Creek Airport recorded 54mm in a prolonged storm between 3 and 9am, whilst Ruby Plains Station, about 40km south, received 81.2mm in the 24 hours to 9am. Across the border in the Northern Territory, near where the Victoria River flows into Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, Bradshaw Station received 85mm between 6 and 8pm. Darwin Airport recorded 25mm in the hour to 6pm, and isolated, and reportedly very dramatic, storms occurred right across the Territory, with Elliott, located about the middle of the NT, reporting 16mm between noon and 3pm, and Yulara 13mm between 6 and 9pm. In the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday, Larrakeyah in Darwin recorded 122mm, and Elsey Station, about 100km southeast of Katherine, 104mm. In Queensland, Horn Island, off the tip of Cape York Peninsula, registered 64mm between 9pm last night and midnight, 18.8mm falling in 10 minutes to 10.47pm, while Yappar River, about 100km SSE of Normanton recorded 122mm in the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday.

Pre-wet season weather in far north Western Australia remains hot and sticky. Daytime temperaturesare in the low 40s, which is normal for this time of year, but night time minima are in the high 20s to low 30s, around 5 to 7 above normal. Troughton Island today recorded a top temperature of 34.7, its highest November maximum in 19 years of record.

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Heavy rain closes roads in SA outback

Heavy rain began falling across South Australia's north this morning as an intense upper depression began to track across the region. An ABC report said that 52mm fell between 9am and around 6pm at Mount Ive Station, south of Lake Gairdner, and that people were stranded in the Gawler Ranges area west of Port Augusta by roads closed with the sudden onset of rain. Both Roxby Downs, 80km north of Woomera, and Arkaroola in the northern Flinders Ranges recorded 24mm between 9am and 3pm in steady moderate rain, which intensified during the evening.

Low daytime temperatures in NT, SA and Queensland

An enormous cloudmass covered much of central eastern Australia today, extending from the Timor Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria to the South Australian coast. Maximum temperatures in many areas under the cloud were well below normal for November. Birdsville's top temperature of 24.0C was 11.4 below, and other large departures included Marree SA 21.9 (-11.1), Jervois NT 25.0 (-10.9) and Mount Isa Airport Qld 26.0 (-10.4).

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Record rain in SA spreads east into Victoria and NSW

Record rain fell in the north of South Australia yesterday and overnight to produce widespread record-breaking totals. Nonning, 120km west of Port Augusta, had its wettest day since records began in 1903, when its 24 hour total to 9am of 89.2mm comprehensively broke its all time daily rainfall record of 72.2mm. Yudnapinna, 80km northwest of Port Augusta, broke its November record of 48.0, which has stood since 1884, by receiving 48.4mm. Andamooka, 100km north of Woomera, received 47.0 (previous November record 29.0 since 1965) and Oodnadatta in the state's far north received 46.0 (previous November record 20.0 since 1939). 12.2mm of Oodnadatta's total fell in 10 minutes to midnight. The heaviest rain fell in a band from the Gawler Ranges west of Port Augusta to the northern Flinders Ranges, and included Iron Knob 59.2, Quorn 56.3, Wilpena Pound 53.8 and Blinman 51.2. Falls above 30mm were widespread across the northeastern quarter of South Australia. Whilst there were isolated thunderstorms, much of the rain fell without thunderstorm activity.

The exceptional rain was the result of a strong upper low moving slowly over the region bringing colder air aloft and generating strong low and middle atmosphere uplift. A weak, broad surface pressure trough covered much of eastern Australia this morning, and a surface low formed in southwestern NSW late morning. As the rainband moved east during the day, reports of heavy falls came in from southeastern SA, western NSW and Victoria, with the heaviest falls to the south of the low. Ouyen in western Victoria recorded 35mm between 9am and 3pm. Swan Hill, further east, began to accumulate an extraordinary all-time record 24 hour rainfall total, with light rain putting 10.6mm in the gauge between 9am and 2pm, and a further 97.4mm by midnight. By late today, rain had extended across all but the far east of Victoria.

In NSW, heavy rain fell steadily through the day in the southern Riverina, with Deniliquin receiving 39mm between 9am and 9pm. Earlier, Ivanhoe received 15mm in 3 hours to 9am, and Wilcannia 17mm in 3 hours to 3pm.

High temperatures in southern WA

It was a hot day in Perth and along the west coast as far north as Carnarvon today as hot northeasterlies dampened any prospect of seabreeze relief until late in the day. Perth Airport came within 2 degrees of its November record with a top temperature of 38.3, 12.9 above average, while Kwinana on the coast recorded 39, 13.7 above. Further north, Lancelin's top of 37.7 was 13.4 above, and Carnarvon's 40 was 13 up on normal.

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Slow moving low brings flooding and record rainfall to Victoria

A weak low pressure system moved slowly east along the Victorian border today, breaking rainfall records in three states and raising fears of flooding in Gippsland and northern rivers as it propelled an extraordinarily active rainband southeast. Falls of 50 to 200mm were generated across much of the state and in nearby parts of South Australia and NSW as the rainband passed, giving around 12 hours of rain in most locations. Strong winds developed late in the day causing some damage and blackouts around Melbourne as a strong pressure gradient formed between the low and a high ridging eastwards under Tasmania.

In the 24 hours to 9am, the heaviest falls were around 80 to 120mm along the Murray River in the state's northwest, and over the Northeast Highlands. Swan Hill recorded 111mm for the 24 hours, but 108mm of that fell before midnight, of which 53mm fell in the 3 hours before midnight! This comprehensively demolished not only the town's previous 24 hour rainfall record for any month (68.8mm), but also broke the November monthly rainfall record of 89.9mm, and this in a record stretching back to 1884. The tiny town of Ultima, 30km southwest of Swan Hill, recorded 120.4mm, and other high 24 hour totals were Mt Buffalo Chalet 106.0, Edi Upper Vineyard 96.8, Kerang PO 91.6, Wangaratta Airport 91.0 and Barham on the Murray River in NSW 90.4. Daily rainfall records broken by falls in the 24 hours to 9 this morning, for a selection of stations only, are:

Satellite images suggest that the heaviest rainband moved ESE up the Murray Valley, giving downpours to the Swan Hill area before midnight and the Shepparton area around 3am, before moving over the Northeast Highlands around 6 to 9am and stalling over the Alps, Central and East Gippsland for much of the rest of the day. Shepparton registered 26.8mm between 2 and 4am, Bendigo 33 and Wangaratta 45mm between 3 and 6am, Latrobe Valley Airport 22mm between 6 and 9am, all being peaks in their respective hourly or 3-hourly totals. The heaviest rain for the event appears to have been on the southern foothills of the ranges north of Heyfield and Maffra in the Central Gippsland, where Murderer's Hill recorded 176.2 and Mount Moornapa 145mm for the 48 hours to 9am Friday.

Sadly, Victoria's dry central western area received less than 10mm from the system.

During the day, flood warnings were issued for all streams in the East and West Gippsland and the northeast. Situations in individual rivers were:

• Thomson -- moderate flooding after 60 to 120mm in catchment
• Macalister -- moderate flooding upstream and minor downstream of Glenmaggie Reservoir after 60 to 70 and locally 120mm in the catchment
• Avon -- minor flooding after 35 to 110mm in the catchment
• Mitchell, Dargo -- minor flooding
• Latrobe River, Traralgon Creek -- minor flooding
• Ovens, King, Buffalo and Buckland -- peaked below minor flood level in the country above Wangaratta
• Broken -- below minor
• Mitta -- minor above Dartmouth Dam
• Goulburn and Campaspe -- no main river flooding after falls of 30 to 60mm, but localised flooding around Shepparton where falls were 80 to 90mm

A ridge strengthening under Tasmania during the day gave strengthening winds, with Wilsons Promintory reporting gales from 6am onwards, and a peak gust to 104km/h around 6pm. Rhyll on Philip Island reported gales from around 4pm with a gust to 85km/h at 8.26pm, while in the Dandenongs, Dunns Hill reported strong, gusty winds from midday, with several gusts exceeding 83km/h during the afternoon and evening.

Scattered heavy storm rains in NSW

Isolated storms and patches of heavy rain associated with the trough which gave Victoria torrential rain today produced some heavy downpours in central and western parts of NSW today. Parkes experienced a heavy thunderstorm during the early evening, giving the airport 50mm in two hours to 8pm, of which 13.6mm fell in the last 10 minutes. In the town, nearby, 62mm fell between observations at 3 and 9pm. Condobolin recorded 37mm between 9pm last night and 6 this morning, whilst Wanaaring in the state's northwest posted a 24 hour total to 9am of 53mm.

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Heavy rain, flooding, gales continue in Victoria

Torrential rain in the Barwon River basin, west of Geelong, led to major flooding in the river above Winchelsea today. In the 24 hours to 8.30am, 215mm was recorded at Mt Cowley and 200mm at Mt Sabine in the nearby Otway Ranges. In Central Gippsland, the Macalister River peaked this morning. The town of Tinamba, 15km northwest of Sale, required sandbagging to keep water out of properties after spill from Glanmaggie Dam raised river levels downstream to moderate flood height. The widespread heavy rain of the past few days has caused Vicgrain, the state's grain handling body, to announce that little or no malting barley will be produced this season, and around 300,000 tonnes of barley is likely to be downgraded to feed quality. Rain has also greatly reduced malt barley yields in NSW, Queensland and South Australia.

The State Emergency Service received hundreds of calls to deal with wind damage from storms, with 200 volunteers called in to help. Most calls were to deal with fallen trees, especially in eastern Melbourne suburbs, where tens of thousands of residences also lost power.

Heavy rain but minor flooding in Tasmania

Despite heavy rain, only minor flooding occurred in northern and eastern Tasmania today due to dry catchments. The South Esk and northeastern streams rose to minor flood levels, and it is possible flash flooding occurred in some east coast streams as 50 to 100mm of rain fell during the day. Gray, about 15km southeast of St Marys on the east coast, recorded 115mm between 9am and 6pm, whilst St Helens reported 71.8mm and Bicheno 71mm between 9am and 3pm as a low pressure system moved slowly down the east coast. St Helen's 24 hour rainfall total of 73.8mm to 9am Saturday broke a 97 year record for the highest daily total in November.

NSW flood report

Floodwaters from the heavy winter rains in southern Queensland and northern NSW continue to move lazily down the Darling River. The river peaked at Menindee during the week, though the area has been inundated for the past two months, and flooding is expected to continue until late December. Helicopters and boats are being used to guide cattle to feed and dry land. The NSW Minister for Agriculture stated during the week that the extensive flooding in northwestern NSW had destroyed 25% of the barley crop and 12% of the wheat crop.

Spectacular storms in Sydney, Newcastle 1 Dec 98

A series of thunderstorms originating in the area northwest of Camden passed across southern Sydney late this afternoon, causing power failures to more than 500 customers in Menai, Engadine, Cronulla and Mortdale, and producing press reports of hail up to golfball size. 16.0mm of rain was recorded at Holsworthy between 5 and 7.30 in two storms, and hail large enough to dent cars was reported at Taren Point. The second storm was a spectacular sight, with a setting sun underlighting cumulonimbus storm clouds, a dark wall cloud extending 10km or more to the north, and frequent lightning from the storm cloud anvil into surrounding clear air. In the Maitland area, a storm hit the suburbs of Tenambit and Raworth around 5.30pm bringing moderate winds, heavy rain, minor flooding and hail 2 to 3cm in diameter.

See also Michael Thompson's report and photos.

Heavy storm falls widespread in eastern and northern Australia

Storms and areas of heavy rain continue to produce high rainfall totals across the tropics, in eastern Queensland and parts of NSW. Lockhart River, on Queensland's Cape York Peninsula, recorded 89mm in three hours between 3 and 6am, and a further 20mm to 9am from heavy rain to give the station a 24 hour total of 131mm, the highest November total in 41 years. Later in the day, Horn Island, off the tip of Cape York Peninsula, reported 65mm in 3 hours to midday.Broadleigh Downs, 100km south of Charters Towers, registered 105mm in the 24 hours to 9am. At Douglas River in the Northern Territory, 20.2mm fell in 10 minutes to 7pm in a fairly typical pre-wet season thunderstorm in which the wind gusted to 80km/h. Heavy falls in NSW were mostly due to thunderstorms, with Coonamble reporting 41mm in one hour to 3am, and several 24 hour falls exceeding 50mm. River and creek rises across the upper Lachlan River Valley produced minor flooding on the Belubula at Canowindra.

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Severe storms on NSW Mid North Coast; hail in central west

Isolated severe storms developed in rugged country to the west of Port Macquarie during this afternoon. Mt Seaview weather station, 80km west of Port Macquarie, recorded 76.6mm in the storm, and marble-sized hail was observed nearby. The same, or possibly a second storm, hit the Comboyne Plateau late afternoon, with high winds causing considerable forest damage.

Earlier, early morning storms in the Orange area produced pockets of heavy hail, according to an ABC News report. Hail the size of 10 cent pieces fell around 2.30am in Orange over a 15 minute period. The State Emergency Service was called to several department stores where owners were concerned that the weight of hail may collapse roofs, and the Lands Office suffered water damage. Little damage to surrounding crops was reported by the NSW Department of Agriculture.

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Hail causes severe damage in SW Western Australia 1 Dec 98

Thunderstorms produced copious hail in Perth and southwest WA overnight and today. The orchards in the Manjimup region, 120km southeast of Perth, were worst hit, as jagged hail of "large size blue metal" battered fruit in a thunderstorm soon after midnight. Losses ranging from 10 to 40% were general, with some growers losing up to 90% of their crop. One orchardist stated the hail was the largest he had seen in 30 years in the district. In Perth, Jacob Aufdemkampe reported that hail up to 2cm across fell for around 10 minutes from 8.40pm, while in northern suburbs of Perth, hail, some even larger, fell for about 20 minutes.

Further east, there were some heavy storm rainfalls in the Goldfields and Eucla districts. Hopetoun, on the coast 40km south of Ravensthorpe, received 22mm in a storm, with 11.2mm falling in the 10 minutes to 2am. Norseman registered 21mm between noon and 3pm and Balladonia Homestead 20mm between 3 and 6pm.

Widespread storms in eastern Qld and NSW

Storms with some heavy rainfall beset eastern Queensland and NSW today as a sharp upper trough combined with a surface trough west of the ranges and a strong southeasterly flow onto the coast to produce very strong uplift and resultant storms, gales, rain and hail.

The Hunter and Mid North Coasts of NSW were worst hit, as a trough moving up the coast tightened the onshore winds. Norah Head reported galeforce winds continuously between 4.30am and 9pm, whilst Newcastle's Nobbys Signal Station experienced gales from soon before 9am. The winds were unusually steady, with Norah Head reporting consistent top gusts between 74 and 78km/h, with sustained wind speeds between 63 and 67km/h. Huge seas were whipped up, and flying tree branches made driving hazzardous. Rainfall of 60 to 160mm fell, mostly in the daylight hours. Stroud recorded 160.6mm in the 48 hours to 9am Thursday. Heavy falls in the 24 hours to 9am today, but mostly falling after midnight, were 101.4mm at Maryville in Newcastle, 55 at Norah Head, 53.6 at Newcastle University, 43 at Bulahdelah and 27 at Stroud. In the 24 hours to 9am Thursday, but mostly falling before midnight, the highest falls were Stroud 133.6, Smoky Cape Lighthouse 132mm, Williamtown RAAF Base 96 and Bulahdelah 90. Norah Head registered 51mm between 9pm Tuesday and 3am this morning, Newcastle Nobbys 67 between 6am and noon, and Williamtown 79, Smoky Cape 81, Mitchells Island (15km east of Taree) 74 and Forster 74 between 9am and 3pm. Hail and rotating clouds were observed with the storms during the day around Taree.

Storms occurred across NSW in the morning and early afternoon, and across eastern Queensland as far as the Central Coast and Highlands during the afternoon and evening as the upper trough moved east. Orange reported hail before 3am, Gunnedah had a particularly heavy but mostly dry thunderstorm around 9am, Moree received 11mm from a storm in the hour to noon, and there were reports of hail damaging crops, with the largest in the Delungra area near Inverell. In Queensland, Miles on the Darling Downs received 28mm in a storm around 3pm, 13.6mm falling in 10 minutes to 2.57pm, of which 6.2mm fell in the last 2 minutes! Archerfield Airport in Brisbane's southern suburbs recorded 16.8mm in 16 minutes to 4.07pm. Other falls, likely to have had similar intensities but only recorded three-hourly, were Brisbane Airport 30mm between 3 and 6pm, Rolleston on the Central Highlands 39mm between 9am and 3pm and St Lawrence on the Central Coast 57mm between 3 and 9pm.

Cold air aloft and heavy cloud cover made for some exceptionally low daytime temperatures today. Murrurundi, in the upper Hunter Valley, only reached a maximum of 14.2, 13.3 below average, while nearby Jerry's Plains' top of 17.3 was 12.1 below. In the Blue Mountains, Katoomba shivered with a top temperature of 8.8, 11.3 below the November norm.

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Gales, rain move to NE NSW and SE Queensland

The system that brought rain, gales and storms to the NSW Hunter and Mid North Coasts yesterday moved northward overnight, giving heavy rain to coastal locations. Coffs Harbour Airport recorded 47mm between 9pm and 3am for a 24 hour to 9am total today of 93mm, while Ballina Airport received 43 between 3 and 9am for a 24 hour total of 72. Evans Head registered 29.2mm in 1 hour 50 minutes to 4.50am, while Mullumbimby's 24 hour total was 120mm.

As gales eased off in the Hunter by mid morning, they picked up on the northern NSW and southeast Queensland coastal fringe. Cape Moreton reported sustained gale force winds (63km/h and over) from 6am to 8pm, with a gust to 95km/h at 12.58pm. Evans Head reported a top gust of 85km/h at 1.46pm.

Temperatures were again unusually low in central eastern parts of NSW. Norah Head Lighthouse registered its lowest November minimum in a 24 year computer record, with 9.5C breaking the old record of 9.9. Nerriga, Katoomba and Murrurundi all reported maximum temperatures more than 10C below average.

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Severe thunderstorms continue in the north

Scattered but sometimes intense thunderstorms were reported across the Northern Territory Top End and along the Queensland tropical coast today. A severe storm hit the Atherton Tablelands between Atherton and Ravenshoe between 1 and 2pm. Bob Baillie reports that the storm produced hail to golfball size near the Herberton turnoff from the main road, unusual in a tropical storm. Heavy storms were also reported from the Townsville and Ingham areas and at Jabiru and Warruwi in the Northern Territory.

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Further thunderstorms in the north

Seasonal thunderstorms continued today in the NT Top End, along the Queensland coast and in the far north Kimberley of WA. Cairns received 37mm between 6 and 9pm, whilst Willis Island, about 500km east of Cairns, received 53mm in 6 hours to 9am as a broad area of storms that developed yesterday evening north of Cooktown passed over the Island. 10.0mm was recorded between 3.55 and 4.05am.

Heavy rain hits NW Tasmania

Unusually heavy rain fell in northwest Tasmania this evening as a trough system moved east across the state, and a small low pressure system developed in it in Bass Strait. Wynyard Airport recorded 34mm between 3 and 8pm.

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Widespread storms continue in eastern Queensland

Storms produced torrential rain and some hail in central eastern and southeast Queensland this afternoon and evening. A storm complex on the Darling Downs gave Oakey Airport winds gusting to 80km/h and Toowoomba Airport 45mm around 1 to 2pm before moving on to Brisbane, where the Airport recorded 23.8mm fell in 36 minutes to 5.30pm. As the storm intensified moving into Moreton Bay, Cape Moreton received 26.2mm in 24 minutes to 7.06pm, with 22.0mm falling in 10 minutes to 7.00pm, and 11.6mm falling in just 4 minutes to 6.56pm. Further north, Emerald received 18.4mm in 12 minutes to 7.12pm with winds gusting to 87 km/h, and hail was reported from Gayndah. On the North Coast of NSW, Ballina recorded 11.6mm in 10 minutes to 3.00pm.

Heatwave, bushfires ends in WA

A heatwave, which has caused bushfires and given temperatures 8 to 12 degrees above normal over the past three days, contracted to southeastern WA today. More than 20 square kilometres of farmland were burnt out near the wheatbelt town of Wyalkatchem, 180 km northeast of Perth. Temperatures around 40C occurred in the wheatbelt and the Southwest on Friday and Saturday before moving to the Goldfields today. On Friday, top temperatures at Dandaragan (39C), Morawa (41) and Eneabba (39) were all 10 or 11 above normal. Yesterday morning, the minimum temperatures at Paynes Find (26.6), Moora (24) and Dandaragan (23) were similarly above the average. Saturday's top temperature at Perth Airport of 37.0 was 11.6 above, whilst Cunderdin's 40.4 was 12.2 up on normal. Today, Balgair, south of Rawlinna on the Transcontinental Railway in WA's southeast, reported a top of 41.9, 12.8 above average.

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