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• 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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Heavy storms moved from the Blue Mountains across the western suburbs of Sydney late this afternoon causing flash flooding. Large hail was reported from Baulkham Hills. The suburb of Merrylands recorded 56.2mm in the 24 hours to 9am Saturday, most of it from the storm, while Katoomba in the Blue Mountains recorded 31mm between 3 and 9pm and Canterbury 20mm between 3 and 6pm. Ballina, on the NSW North Coast, registered 23mm between 12.50 and 2.00pm from a storm.

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Widespread thunderstorms brought falls of between 10 and 50mm to most of central NSW, central southern Queensland and eastern SA during the day and overnight into Sunday. The NSW and Qld storms occurred as a broad low pressure trough developed in the eastern inland, swinging warm moist air, instability, cloud, storms and rain areas southwards across the region. Rain in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday was heaviest across the NSW inland, with Hay recording 52.4mm, Coonabarabran 51.8, Collarenebri 45.8, Goodooga 44.4, Tibooburra 38.6, and Cobar, Forbes and Grenfell 38.0. Storms accounted for some heavy falls, with Hay receiving 44mm between 3 and 9pm. In Queensland, the storms occurred overnight, Springsure in the Central Highlands registered 43.0 and Samford in the southeast 43.0mm for the day ended 9am Sunday.

In South Australia, a small upper area of cold air moved ENE across the Eyre Peninsula and into central northern parts during the afternoon and evening, spawning spectacular thunderstorms. Yunta recorded 26.6mm between 5 and 9pm while in suburban Adelaide, Parafield AP recorded 36.4mm between 2.10 and 6pm in a succession of heavy storms and showers.Golfball-sized hail caused extensive damage to about 25 vineyards in the Clare Valley, north of Adelaide. On one property in the Auburn area, 42 acres of grape vines were shredded by the hail causing at least $150,000 damage. Among the heaviest falls for the 24 hours to 9am Sunday were Hoyleton, 100km N of Adelaide, 50mm, Parafield Airport 48 and Nildottie, 100km ENE of Adelaide, 46mm.

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Sunday 3 October 1999

Storms continue in NSW 11 Oct 1999

Storms redeveloped over most of the northeastern half of NSW this afternoon and evening, giving 10 to 30mm of rain to most of the area and up to 70mm in the state's north. The storms and rain areas developed as yesterday's low pressure trough moved slowly east, crossing the northeast NSW coast early Monday morning. Moree Airport recorded 65.2mm in thunderstorms and rain between 8.20pm tonight and 2.30am Monday, while Inverell recorded 49mm between 6 and 9am Monday. Falls of around 25mm from a single storm were common. Highest day totals to 9am Monday were Moree Airport 73mm, Inverell 71.4, Uralla 70 and Walcha 62, while Pallamallawa recorded 72.2 for the 2 days to 9am Monday, Delungra 88 for 2 days to Tuesday, and Bingara 115.2mm for 4 days to Tuesday, most or all of which would have fallen over about 24 hours. Across the border in Queensland, Cunnamulla recorded a two-day total of 55.4mm to 9am Monday, while Yongala in South Australia's northeast recorded 79.9mm in the same period.

The rain of the past two days has closed many roads in outback NSW. Swollen creeks stranded 50 people north of Tibooburra in the state's northwest for three days. Meanwhile, the rain has had widespread beneficial effects, improving flows in the Murray Darling River system, giving soaking rain to the state's dry southeast, and possibly slowing a developing mouse plague in the northwest. Broken Hill's local water storage, Stephens Creek Reservoir, is now supplying the city again, after being dry for some months. Minor flooding of the Gwydir River in northern NSW followed the Sunday night storms, with peaks of 6.2m at Pallamallawa at 1pm Tuesday and 5.24m at Yarraman Bridge 6 hours later.

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The band of storms and rain that has crossed three states since Saturday moved out to sea this evening after bringing heavy falls and local flooding to southeast Queensland. The slow-moving trough generated some long-lived areas of thunderstorms, with Goondiwindi reporting nearly continuous storms from early morning to late afternoon. Some heavy storm falls were recorded -- 59mm in 6 hours to 9pm at Toolara, 30km NE of Gympie, 43mm in the same time at Coolangatta Airport, and 10-minute falls of 16.8mm at Toowoomba Airport to 4.46pm, 11.4 at Roma to 11.57am and 11.2 at Brisbane Airport No 2 gauge to 6.59pm. Local flooding and downed trees were reported in Brisbane's western suburbs, with power cut to 20,000 homes in this area and Ipswich.

Unconfirmed reports have been received of a tornado in open country in the Boorowa region on the NSW Southern Tablelands during the mid-afternoon.

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High temperatures for October were reported around the Great Australian Bight today. Eucla, near the head of the Bight, recorded a maximum of 39.0, 16.2 above normal, while Ceduna in western South Australia recorded a top of 34.0, 10.3 above.

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A small secondary low pressure system with a central pressure around 984hPa passed within 100km of the WA South Coast this evening, bringing high winds and patchy heavy rain to the state's southwest. Dozens of homes in Perth were reported to have damaged roofs, and the State Emergency Services were called to over 100 houses to repair minor damage. Trees and power lines were downed across the region. Highest wind gusts today accompanied the passage of the low system's attendant cold front, with reports of 107km/h at 2.28pm at Gooseberry Hill, 96km/h at 11.02am at Kalamunda, 100km/h at 11.30am at Swanbourne, and 113km/h at 12.51pm at Rottnest Island, all in the Perth area. Automatic weather stations in Perth and farther south reported gusts above 80km/h for much of the afternoon and evening, and into Friday. Heavy thunderstorm rainfalls preceded the front, with Kalbarri and Dalwallinu reporting 19mm in 3 hours to 9am, and York reporting 24mm and Hyden 31mm between 9am and 3pm. Kalbarri's 24-hour total to 9 this morning of 25.6mm was it's highest October one-day total in 27 years of record.

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Whilst winds eased in southwestern WA this morning as the low pressure system close to the state's south coast moved away, a trough in the circulation around the low moved over Perth and surrounding areas mid-morning producing further heavy rainfall. Gingin Airport recorded 33mm, suburban Swanbourne 20, and Bullsbrook 22mm between 6 and 9am. Pearce RAAF recorded a 24-hour total of 38.0mm to 9am, its heaviest October one-day fall in 40 years. Meanwhile, ahead of the cold front moving across WA, temperatures across most of South Australia and into western Victoria were from 8 to 16° above the October norm. Hottest places were in a strip running north/south through central SA, where Ceduna recorded an overnight minimum of 26.0, 16.2 above normal, and Port Lincoln a maximum of 34.9, 14.8 above. The warm northerly airflow at upper levels also gave the NSW and Victorian Alps an unusually warm day, with Charlotte Pass reporting a top of 16.5, it's warmest October day in the past 10 years of record.

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The cold front that has swept across WA over the past two days weakened over South Australia today, but a succession of weak troughs brought widespread thunderstorms to the state and into western Victoria. Strong winds with the storms raised dust and gave Broken Hill a gust of 93km/h at 8.27pm, but no damage was reported. Temperatures across eastern SA, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania were generally 8 to 15° above normal, with Swansea on Tasmania's east coast recording an overnight minimum of 21.9, 14.9 above, and Bairnsdale in eastern Victoria reporting a maximum of 32.0, 12.7 above. Charlotte Pass surpassed its high maximum temperature yesterday with a top of 17.9.

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A major cloudband swept around a lazy low pressure system southwest of Victoria today bringing general rainfalls of 10 to 30mm and isolated falls of 40 to 70mm across southeastern SA, southern NSW, Tasmania and most of Victoria. Pressure troughs embedded in the northwesterly stream brought some violent thunderstorms and hail across all four states, while the area of heat that has been moving across the south of the continent since Wednesday finally moved out into the Tasman this evening.

In SA's Upper Southeast agricultural district, hailstorms caused crop and property damage on at least six properties. In the NSW Riverina district, strong winds with thunderstorms during the evening unroofed houses in the Jerilderie area, and large hail hit the town and nearby Finley. Crops were damaged in the area, and downed powerlines caused blackouts for up to 7 hours. However, the rain was good news for irrigators in the region, with Murray irrigation allocations likely to rise as a result of the rain. Heaviest rain from this event was east of Adelaide, where Gumeracha recorded 73.6 and Lyndoch 65.0 in the 3 days to 9am Monday. Melbournians enjoyed spectacular lightning yesterday evening and until around 4 this morning, with 25 to 30mm across most of the City. Fawkner Beacon on Port Philip recorded a wind gust to 83km/h at 10.29pm with the passage of a storm. The wine-growing area of Rutherglen in northeastern Victoria recorded 25mm between 6 and 9pm in a thunderstorm after an exceptionally warm morning with a minimum temperature of 18.0, 11.7 above normal. The cloudband, however, kept daytime temperatures close to normal, though Ivanhoe in southwestern NSW recorded a top of 38.7, 12.6 above normal, and Sydney Airport reported 34.0, up 11.7.

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Moist, converging winds along trough lines moving through central SA and NT brought some isolated heavy falls to normally dry locations today. Eucla Airport, on the Great Australian Bight on the WA/SA border, received 40mm in a late afternoon thunderstorm, 14.2mm falling in 10 minutes to 5pm. The airport's 24 hour total to 9am Wednesday was 44mm, breaking a previous October record of 33mm in 85 years of rainfall registrations. Oodnadatta recorded 24mm in an early afternoon storm, while Lyndavale in the Erldunda area in northern SA registered 59mm from a storm or storms in the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday.

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Wyndham in far northern WA received a record October downpour this evening as thunderstorms formed in the heat trough lying from the Kimberley ESE into central Northern Territory. The Post Office in the town recorded 60mm between 6pm and midnight for a 24 hour total of 61.8mm to 9am Wednesday. The town's previous October one-day rainfall record was 38mm in 30 years of record. Kununurra Checkpoint, on the border east of the town, recorded 46.4, while the Kimberley Research Station near the town recorded 37.2mm for the 24 hours. Katherine in the Northern Territory registered 44mm from a storm between about 5pm and 9pm. Cloud kept daytime temperatures across this region unusually cold for October. Wyndham's top temperature of 28.4 was 10.6 below normal, and Tennant Creek in the NT recorded only 23.0, 11.7 below.

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Heavy early morning thunderstorms gave torrential rain to bayside suburbs of Brisbane and north along the coast to Gladstone. Brisbane Airport recorded 15.8mm in 10 minutes to 12.30am and a total of 73mm over about 4 hours in two thunderstorms. Galeforce wind gusts blew over a heavy container stored at the airport, and caused minor damage to trees and buildings south of the Airport. Interestingly, a gauge on the other side of Brisbane Airport recorded only 12mm in the same time. Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island recorded 82.4mm in the 24 hours to 9am, while suburban Sandgate and Redcliffe both reported 45mm. Earlier, Gladstone Airport recorded 31mm from a storm between 9pm and midnight Friday. The storms appear to have been activated by a pulse moving southeastward in moist, unstable middle-atmosphere air.

A cloudband kept temperatures well below normal through central and eastern parts of the NT today. Tennant Creek Airport's maximum to 3pm of 17 was 17 below normal.

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An unusually cold southerly surge for late October gave snowfalls overnight and through today across Tasmania's Central Plateau and higher parts of the west and south coastal ranges. Snow fell at Tarraleah at 589m above sea level, and could have fallen as low as 400m at times. Hobart's midday temperatures was 8°, and sleet was reported from higher suburbs. In Queensland, a large cloudmass has been forming through the inland as a surface trough develops in response to colder upper air moving over the region. Temperatures under the cloud in the west and central west were unusually cold, with Longreach reporting a maximum of 19, 15 below average, and Winton 22, 13 below. Longreach recorded 24mm in steady rain between 9am and 3pm. Across the border in the Northern Territory, Jabiru Airport registered 83.4mm in 90 minutes to 10pm in a heavy thunderstorm.

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A band of severe storms swept through the southern Darling Downs and Granite Belt of Queensland this evening causing an estimated $20m worth of damage to crops. The line of storms formed in a trough line over the western Downs during the early afternoon, and were at their most severe around Texas and in the Stanthorpe area of the Granite Belt, south of Toowoomba. Marble to golfball-sized hail fell in Stanthorpe in the storm between 7 and 8pm, and was sufficiently prolongued for drifts of hail to be still lying 24 hours later. Applethorpe, 5km north of Stanthorpe, recorded 21.6mm of rain in 45 minutes to 8pm, while Stanthorpe was said to have received about 40mm from the storm. Power and phone lines were brought down, and early estimates indicate that about one quarter of the area's $80m fruit and vegetable crop has been wiped out. Stonefruit, pear and vegetable crops were worst affected, with three growers losing their entire fruit crops for the second year in a row. Some growers lost their hail-protection netting because of the severity of the storm. The storm band weakened as it crossed areas to the west of Brisbane, but still gave 10 cent-sized hail and gusty winds to the Ipswich region.

The trough also brought some heavy falls in northern and eastern NSW earlier in the day. Inverell recorded 29mm in 12 hours to 3am, while in the upper Hunter valley, Murrurundi recorded 26mm and Scone 24mm in 6 hours to 9am. 24 hour falls to 9am were heaviest southeast of Tamworth, with Willow Tree recording 47.8mm, Keeva near Nundle 42.0 and Ogunbil 38.2. A second troughline which formed to the southwest of the first line produced rapid development of an active cloudband through central NSW during the afternoon. This band of cloud produced an active rainband with embedded thunderstorms which moved east and southeast across central eastern parts of the state during the afternoon and evening bringing steady falls of 20 to 50mm across a wide area. Moree Airport recorded 9mm in 10 minutes to 4pm in a storm, while Mungindi on the Queensland border had 19mm between 9am and 3pm. Glen Innes Airport recorded 15mm in 3 hours to noon as the first trough passed, and a further 19mm between 6 and 9pm in the second band of rain. Further south, Tocal Ag College near Paterson in the lower Hunter recorded 36mm between 9am and 3pm, Narara north of Gosford had 40mm in 12 hours to 9pm, Dubbo Airport received 21mm in a storm between noon and 3pm, and Katoomba had 35mm between 9am and 9pm. South of Sydney, Darkes Forest recorded 57mm in 4 hours to 7pm.

A troughline sweeping through southeastern WA gave the settlement of Laverton, 250km NNE of Kalgoorlie, wind gusts to 106km/h as a thunderstorm passed. In Tasmania, highland snow fell overnight as the temperature plummeted to -5 at Liawenee.

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The trough which lay through central NSW yesterday formed into a broad low pressure system this morning, with a centre crossing the coast near Sydney mid-morning and moving slowly south to lie off the coast near Nowra by midnight. Widespread rain of 25 to 60mm was recorded on the coast from around Taree to the Victorian border and inland to the Central and Southern Tablelands and eastern Riverina. Several locations recorded record October 24-hour falls to 9am. They included Bathurst Ag College's 54.6mm (its heaviest October fall in 90 years of record), Lucas Heights 103.2 (40 years), Bowral 88.6 (37 years) and Taralga 85.0 (110 years). 107mm was recorded at Bowral in 15 hours ended midday. Other heavy 24 hour falls included Merryland in Sydney's west 78.4, Katoomba 75.8, Tocal near Paterson in the Hunter 72.5 and Liverpool 66.4. Storms were widespread during the day. A prolongued fall of hail up to marble size was reported from the western Sydney suburb of Landillo, turning the ground white, while golfball-sized hail was reported at Taree.

However, the heaviest falls were in the Illawarra. Several convergence lines formed in the moist unstable air to the south of the low, the most intense bringing a line of storms and torrential rain to the Illawarra Escarpment behind Wollongong mid-morning. The highest 24 hour falls to 9am were 222mm at Darkes Forest, just inland from the Illawarra Escarpment north of Wollongong, 183mm at Dombarton Loop west of Dapto, 140mm at Wottamolla north of Nowra, 138mm at Nowra Treatment Works, and 129mm at Robertson. Torrential rain accompanied the storms, with 25mm recorded in 10 minutes to 10.19am at Wollongong Airport at Albion Park, and marble-sized hail reported. West Wollongong, Dapto and Figtree suffered most damage, with flash flooding damaging homes and cars, and the SES recording 150 calls for help from residents. Landslides were reported near Berry, and the Illawarra Highway and Jamberoo Pass were closed. Media reports estimated damage at around $10m.

An examination of detailed rain-recorder data in the area shows the slow southern movement of the main band of heavy rain and storms south along the Illawarra Escarpment, and the intensification of the rain towards the back of the rainband. The locations from north to south are:

Lucas Heights recorded 56mm in 6 hours to 8.11am, the heaviest hour's fall being 36mm to 8.01am
Darkes Forest recorded 124mm in 6 hours to 8.41am, heaviest hour 51mm to 8.37.
Dombarton Loop recorded 116.5mm in 6 hours to 10.24am, heaviest hour 42mm to 9.59am
Upper Calderwood, 15km west of Shellharbour, recorded 108.5mm in 6 hours to 10.35am, heaviest hour 52.5mm to 10.41

The rain at all these locations cut off soon after the heaviest hour's record, with fine weather for much of the rest of the day. Heavy rain in the Nowra/Robertson area occurred earlier in the morning, with Wattamolla near Berry recording 128mm between 9pm yesterday and 7 this morning, and little afterwards. While a convergence line appears to have been the trigger for the heavy rain on the Illawarra Escarpment, it was uplift over the escarpment itself which caused the greatest intensification of the rain -- Darkes Forest, with 222mm in the 24 hours to 9am, lies 1km inland from the top of the escarpment; Bellambi Point, 15km south and on the coast, recorded only 63.8mm in the same period.

As the low moved south, heavy rain began falling on the South Coast, and seas to 7 metres were reported south to the Victorian border. Moruya Heads Pilot Station recorded 85mm between 9am and 9pm, 62mm falling in the last 6 hours. Majors Creek, in the headwaters of the Moruya River, recorded 127mm for the day to midnight. Farther inland, Braidwood recorded 50mm between 9am and 9pm, and Goulburn recorded 68mm in 24 hours to 3pm in the City, with 35mm falling between noon and 3pm at the airport to the south of the city. This is unusually heavy rain for the area -- Goulburn City's 24 hour total to 9am Monday of 51.6 was the highest October 24 hour to 9am fall on record at the present site, where records go back to 1971. Bungonia, 20km east of the city, recorded 136.4mm in the 48 hours to 9am Monday. Heavy rain was also reported from the Riverina, where Griffith Airport registered 65mm in 24 hours to 9am.

Flooding occurred in the Georges, Nepean, Shoalhaven and Moruya river basins. The Georges River peaked at 1.9m at Liverpool Weir at 3pm with minor flooding, the Nepean at 9.46m at 10pm at Menangle and 5.33m at Camden around midnight with moderate flooding, and the Shoalhaven at 3.52m at 10pm with moderate flooding. Local flooding was also reported in the upper Lachlan basin, with Wyangala Dam starting to spill early on Tuesday morning.

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The low pressure system responsible for yesterday's rain veered off to the southeast today, giving further heavy rain until about daybreak on the NSW South Coast. Bateman's Bay recorded 140mm, Moruya Heads 116 and Narooma 100.6 for the day ended 9am, while Bodalla registered 176.6 for the 3 days to 9am, most of which would have fallen in the last 24 hours. Flooding below minor level was reported from the Moruya River.

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Floodwaters from last weekend's rain began moving down the Lachlan River near Cowra today after Wyangala Dam began spilling at about 10,000ml/day overnight. The river peaked at Cowra at 5.3m around 3 this morning, and at Nanami at 6.76m at 6am Wednesday, both with minor flooding.

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Wednesday 27 October 1999

Severe storms in SE Qld and NE NSW; Record storm rainfall at Bundaberg, Qld 5 Nov 1999

Severe storms were reported around the NSW/Queensland border along the Great Divide early this morning, and widespread storms redeveloped in southeastern Queensland and northeastern NSW later in the day. The early morning storms battered Texas, Queensland, for the second time in three days, causing property and tree damage and unroofing some houses. In a radio interview, one resident indicated that ball lightning "rolling across the ground" was present, in addition to intense cloud to ground lightning in the storm, which struck about 2.30am. Texas PO reported 41mm for the 24 hours to 9am. Farther east, Ballendean reported 52mm, and Applethorpe and Tenterfield 30mm to 9am from the storms. At Tenterfield, heavy thunderstorm activity was reported at each of the 6am, 9am, noon and 3pm observations, with a further 50mm falling between 9am and 3pm. Warwick, farther north, reported 71mm between 9am and 9pm. By early evening, an impressive line of storms had moved to the coast, stretching from around Gayndah to the NSW North Coast. Heavy rain was reported at Beerburrum, 55km north of Brisbane, where 80.6mm fell in a near-continuous downpour between 7 and 10pm. Cape Moreton reported 55.6mm between 6.50 and 10.50.

However, an absolute torrent descended on Bundaberg. The airport recorded 164.6mm in just over 2 hours, with 158.4mm falling between 11pm and 1am Thursday. The automatic raingauge registered 6.2mm at 11pm, 67.4mm at midnight, 146.4 at 12.30am and 164.6 at 1am. 79mm fell in the half hour to 12.30am, with 29.4mm falling between 12.20 and 12.30am. The 24 hour to 9am Thursday reading of 166.0mm is an October record for the Airport, with 38 years of record, though the old Post Office site has recorded an October fall of 199.6mm. Press reports indicate even heavier rainfall occurred west of Bundaberg, with one unconfirmed report of 346mm, and several in excess of 200mm. Flooding was caused to houses in Bundaberg, Elliott Heads, Burnett heads and Bargara, and many telephone services were disrupted. The rain subsequently led to increased harvester costs for canegrowers in the Wallaville area, 30km SW of Bundaberg, who had to bring harvesters and in field transporters from Mackay to combat the wet field conditions.

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A band of cloud moving down from northwestern Australia over the past two days thickened late yesterday into a broad area of rain and thunderstorms. This produced some heavy falls in central Australia overnight, with Giles weather station, about 250km west of Uluru, reporting 33mm in the day ended 9am this morning. The average rainfall at Giles for the month of October is 11.9mm. The rain area moved southeast during today, bringing brief but heavy falls in South Australia's far west. Ceduna Airport recorded 19mm between 3 and 6pm, while, for the day ending 9am Saturday, Kimba, 100km west of Whyalla,  recorded 34.8mm (October average is 31.5mm) and Penong, 60km west of Ceduna, recorded 32mm. The cloudmass kept daytime temperatures over central Australia unusually cool, with a maximum of 20° at Giles, 11.6 below normal, and 21.5 at Curtin Springs, 9.9 below.

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The cloudband/trough system that gave heavy rain to South Australia yesterday moved into NSW and southern Queensland today, bringing flash flooding to central western NSW and heavy storms to southwestern Queensland. 50 to 70mm of rain fell across the headwaters of the Macquarie, Belubula and Lachlan Rivers, already saturated after last weekend's rain, resulting in the issue of flood warnings. 

After an unusually warm and muggy morning, with minimum temperatures up to 10° above normal, heavy rain began falling in central NSW. Mudgee recorded 48mm between 9am and 6pm, with 22mm falling between 9am and noon. Coonamble recorded 34mm over 12 hours to 9pm, with 19 falling between 6 and 9pm. Overnight into Sunday, the heaviest rain fell in the Orange to Lithgow area. Press reports stated that "5cm" of rain fell in 2 hours in Orange, flooding streets and some homes. South of Bathurst, Mount David recorded 47mm between 2.30am and 8.30am Sunday, while Rockley registered 40mm in the 6 hours to 8.50am Sunday. Farther west, Parkes Airport recorded 24.6mm in 4 hours to 6am Sunday. Among the rainfall totals for the 24 hours to 9am Sunday were Mount David 74, Rockley 72, Chifley Dam 61, Mudgee and Bathurst 56, Mount Bindo near Hampton and Mendooran 55 and Orange Airport 54. 

A large area of heavy thunderstorms developed over northern NSW and through central southern Queensland during the evening and continued into Sunday morning. Charleville Airport recorded 36mm in about 1¼ hours to 9.15pm in the area of most intense thunderstorms, where satellite images indicated cloud tops rising to around 60,000 feet. Some of the heaviest thunderstorm falls in the area can only be deduced from the one-day rain totals to 9am Sunday -- 81.4mm at Kenebree station near Collerina, about 40km NW of Brewarrina, NSW, 70.2mm at Wansey Downs, north of Charleville, Qld, and 54.4 at Lightning Ridge in northern NSW.

Floodwaters from last weekend's rain continue to move down west-flowing streams in SE Queensland and central NSW. The Macintyre River, on the NSW/Qld border, peaked at 5.19m at New Kildonan upstream from Goondiwindi around 5.30am with moderate flooding, and at 6.02m around 9am at Boggabilla and 5.9m around noon at Goondiwindi, both with minor flooding. The flood crest moving down the Lachlan River in NSW peaked at Jemalong Weir at 6.90m late yesterday, below minor flood level.

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Moisture drawn into the heat trough that normally lies through the WA Kimberleys and across the NT Top End during the summer half of the year is fuelling the build-up to the northern Australian wet season. Storm rains of 25 to 60mm fell across much of the Kimberley region and the north of the Northern Territory overnight, with one storm giving Jabiru Airport 49.6mm in 53 minutes to 8.30pm, 13.6mm falling in the last 10 minutes, not an uncommon intensity in pre-Wet thunderstorms. 

An unusual string of heavy showers dumped 30 to 40mm of rain in just over an hour in the Wyong area of the NSW Central Coast early this afternoon. Wyong recorded 41mm between noon and 3pm, 32mm falling in the hour to 1.50pm. The Entrance received 42 and 36mm and Kulnura recorded 27 and 23 in the same time periods. The rain fell from a narrow band of fast-moving showers aligned WNW to ESE and moving to the ESE, so that heavy rain persisted along the one line for over an hour, and occurred nearly simultaneously in a corridor about 40km long but only about 10km wide.

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