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 Huey
sends it down in central western QLD
What locals were describing as the most significant rain since year 2000 began
falling from the Warrego north to the QLD Central Highlands yesterday, and
today has extended to the Central West. A trough system along with
the
moisture remnants from Tropical Cyclone Beni have given widespread falls of
from 50
to 150mm to points as far west as Charleville and Barcaldine. The press gleefully
reported groups of soaked children in Longreach enjoying their first mudfight
in years. Daytime temperatures across southern Queensland were as much as
10° below average as a result of the rain. A full report for this
event is on 10
Feb.
 Storms
bring flash flooding, hail, strong winds to central NSW
Torrential rain and high winds accompanied an isolated severe thunderstorm
in Bathurst NSW this afternoon. A complex of storm cells developed from
south of the town to the west of Orange around 1pm, then moved slowly and
eratically northeastwards over the next few hours reaching peak intensity
over Bathurst shortly after 3pm. The Bathurst cell continued to produce
the strongest radar echoes in the immediate vicinity of the town until
around 4.45pm, giving the airport gauge, about 5km east of the CBD, 46.6mm
in the hour to 4.30pm. A blocked raingauge funnel is likely to have accounted
for an erroneous report that most of this fell in 5 minutes. In the CBD
itself there was flash flooding, with 60cm of water reported running down
the main street. Houses were flooded and roads closed between Bathurst
and Orange with one car reported washed off a road. Violent electrical
activity put power out in the city and as far afield as Blayney,
Sofala,
Hill End
and Oberon, and later around
Dubbo, Wellington and Coonabarabran. Small hail fell for about 10 minutes
in the city. Wind at the airport was recorded as gusting to 121km/h at
3.55pm, though this measurement came through in the same observation as
the erroneous rain report and, despite reports of strong winds with the
storm, should be treated with some suspicion.
40km SW of Yass, the small settlement of Wee Jasper was hit by golfball-sized
hail and heavy rain from a thunderstorm. Strong winds brought down
trees and caused damage to houses and fences.
NEWSBITS
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Two milestones were reached in the massive battle
against the Alpine fires in eastern VIC and southeastern NSW today.
Containment lines to the west of Delegate in NSW met up with those
being put in place by Victorian firefighters in the Dellicknora area,
giving a continuous containment line of over 300km stretching west
to near Mt Buffalo. Fire authorities also announced that limited
areas of the Kosciuszko National Park would reopen to visitors this
evening. The roads to Thredbo and Charlotte Pass would be open, along
with the track to Mt Kosciuszko and the Thredbo chairlift; however
remaining areas of the park remain closed until roads, trails and
walking tracks have been assessed for rehabilitation and potential
dangers such as falling trees.
Kimberley Research Station, 20km NW of Kununurra in the WA North
Kimberley, which broke its February maximum temperature record
yesterday, broke it again today when the maximum thermometer recorded
42.1.
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