Heavy
monsoon rain brings flooding south of Darwin NTTorrential
storm falls in northern QldCullen River, 30km south of Pine Creek, was reported to be 1.6m over the main Stuart Highway bridge at 8am and rising fast, blocking all traffic between Darwin and the southern states. The highway reopened later in the day, but was closed again overnight into Wednesday as water levels rose once more. The area of heaviest rain moved northeast today, giving the Mary River Rangers Station, 60km NE of Pine Creek, an isolated heavy fall of 244mm for the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday. Falls of more than 50mm were widespread across the northwestern Top End for both 24 hour periods. See the rain lists below and for Wednesday for details.
The eastern extension of the monsoon trough across the Queensland Gulf Country has led to a heavy buildup of cloud in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. Heavy rain and some embedded thunderstorms gave falls of more than 200mm along the lower west coast of Cape York Peninsula overnight. Kowanyama, 330km south of Weipa, recorded 102mm in 6 hours to 9am for a 24 hour total of 131mm, while Pormpuraaw, 80km north of Kowanyama, recorded 257.2mm for the 24 hours.