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 NW
QLD: Flooding spreads in the Gulf and Channel Country
Torrential rain yesterday and overnight in the Cloncurry area following yesterday's
widespread rain led to rapid rises in NW QLD rivers today. Cloncurry Airport
recorded 152.2mm in the 24 hours to 9am, while Cotswold Station, 50km NNE of
Cloncurry down the Cloncurry River recorded 196.2. The River rose rapidly,
peaking at Cloncurry at 6.2m this morning, 0.8m below major flood level. Other
rivers flowing to the Gulf, the Nicholson, Gregory and Leichhardt, were in
minor flood in their upper reaches.
Rapid rises were also reported in the Georgina River, which flows
towards Lake Eyre. Urandangie, in the northern headwaters of the river reported
minor flooding, while the river was also rising rapidly at Marion Downs, about
250km southeast and below the junction with the Burke River which flows in
from the Boulia area.
E
NT, W QLD: Record cold
As the maps at right show, both overnight and daytime temperatures were well
below average across an enormous area of inland Australia today. In the NT,
Brunette Downs on the Barkly Tablelands in the east and Ali Curung, in the
central Teritory 150km S of Tennant Creek, set new December lows. In a curious
anomaly, Boulia's minimum temperature for the 24 hours to 9am this morning
of 16.2, 8.2 below average, occurred at midday yesterday -- one wonders how
many times an Australian Outback station has recorded a minimum temperature
8 below average in the middle of the day!
 SE QLD: Thunderless rain
A trough that moved very slowly across central eastern and SE QLD today
brought some substantial falls from rain areas to the southeast, but, unusually,
no thunderstorms. The mostly gentle rain was welcomed by farmers. Goomeri,
60km W of Gympie,
topscored for the 24 hours to 9am this morning with 92.0mm, but most other
falls were below 50mm. Rain continued through the day, giving many totals
above 50mm for the 24 hours to
9am Friday, about half of which fell today, Thursday. There were some
bands of heavy rain this afternoon and evening which stand out in the downpours report,
including 26.6mm in half an hour at Double Island Point and 35mm in an
hour at Toowoomba.
TAS: Cold and windy
TAS was squeezed between a 991hPa low just to its south and a 1022hPa
high in the Bight today, guaranteeing strong winds. The long southward
ridge projecting from the high also ensured they would be cold winds. The
temperature maps show that well below normal overnight and daytime temperatures
occurred over all southeastern states, while the wind gusted to 111km/h
atop Mt Wellington. In a reminder that winter clothing must be taken on
all mid-summer bushwalks in TAS, the AWS on Mt Read, in Tasmania's moutainous
west, reported an overnight minimum
of
0.0C,
with
36mm in the
gauge and
a 24-hour
average windspeed of 28km/h, meaning also that snow is likely to have fallen
in the higher parts of the state.
WA Fires
At least six bushfires burnt around Perth in near-40 degree heat and blustery
winds, most of them believed to have been deliberately lit. North of the
city, the Yanchep National Park was evacuated as firefighters battled two
blazes, while another big fire was threatening property at Eglington. Other
fires were burning at Whiteman park east of the city, and in the suburbs
of Kwinana to the south.
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