This week, parts of Queensland have recorded exceptional rainfall. Records were broken for the month of November, according to the Bureau of Meterology (BOM). More than 180 millimeters of rain fell in the southwest, sometimes in a single night.
Heavy rainfall was recorded across the state, including on the Gold Coast, where 167 millimeters of rain fell in Tugun, 155 millimeters in Coolangatta and 149 mm in Palm Beach.
Further north on the coast, South Mission Beach recorded 198 millimeters in 24 hours, while 128 mm fell in Tully.
The local weather bureau's chief meteorologist, Steve Hadley, said he was “quite unusual” to get this amount of precipitation in a single day in November. “In Coolangatta, this is actually the biggest daily fall for a November since 2004” he told ABC Australia.
Areas of south-west Queensland and the coast experienced torrential rain for several nights in a row with storms, including intense episodes inland causing flooding in the Maranoa, Warrego and Charleville regions, west of Brisbane.
Blue Booth, a Charleville resident, seemed pleased with the rain, calling it “necessary” for nearby ranchers and farmers. “I hope it will bring prosperity to the city” he told local media.
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©Bec Tickell – ABC Australia
Same goes for Beth Streeter, a cattle farmer who lives near Marlborough, north of Rockhampton, near the coast. She said the rain had been disappointing so far, for many residents in her area. “It’s going to get even warmer as we approach December and January, and I really want to grow some hay for my livestock” she said. “I’m looking forward to having a little rain, to having a little humidity.”
Cascading consequences
In Brisbane, the Australian PGA Golf Championship was canceled due to rain.
But the most worrying fact is that dead fish have been found on the bank of the river which runs through Brisbane. The Ministry of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation is investigating the matter.
“A potential cause of the deaths could be recent heavy rains which washed organic matter into the river, leading to low dissolved oxygen levels” the ministry said.
Two men were rescued in the Western Downs, an area west of Brisbane. They were reportedly trying to cross a flooded road southwest of Moonie when their vehicles were swept away.
