Residents in Queensland and New South Wales have been warned to prepare for possible flash floods, as wild weather continues to batter the region.
Severe thunderstorms, intense rainfall and “life-threatening” flash flooding are all possible for parts of Eastern Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned. The Limpinwood area is predicted to see the worst of the weather, with BoM saying that more than 300mm of rain is expected to drench the region over the next 24 hours.
“Heavy rainfall will be associated with shower and thunderstorm activity, which is likely to be hit-and-miss in nature across the warning area,” the bureau said in an alert issued earlier today.
“There is significant uncertainty in the movement and timing of features, but at this stage the heavy rainfall risk may persist into Tuesday morning.”
Many other areas are expected to see more than 200mm of rain. Intense rainfall of 250mm or more could lead to flash flooding, the bureau has warned.
The BoM had also issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall last night. It warned people in parts of the Central Coast, Whitsundays, Central Highlands, Coalfields, Maranoa, Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts to be prepared.
In the Gold Coast, residents have been told to be prepared to act. Warnings issued this morning indicated that communication and electricity services could be impacted and communities may be isolated if flooding occurred. Those camping have been urged to pack up and leave campsites immediately.
“With the recent weather event and storms occurring across south east Queensland, motorist and residents are urged not to cross flooded roads or areas and to avoid travelling where possible,” Queensland police said in an announcement to X (formerly Twitter).
The warnings come after severe storms battered Eastern Australia over Christmas, killing at least 10 people and leaving tens of thousands without power.
Those killed included a 9-year-old girl who was swept into a storm drain in Brisbane, and two people who drowned when flash flooding hit a campsite in rural Victoria.
Power has still not been fully restored to many residents across Queensland, with authorities warning that the continuing storms could delay repairs for another few days.
