Storms sweep across eastern Australia after Queensland soaking

Residents in eastern Australia face another weekend of severe weather as storms move south from a drenched Queensland. The Bureau of Meteorology issued warnings for severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and flash flooding across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. The agency also maintains nine active flood warnings for southern Queensland.

Meteorologist David Crock stated that severe storms are expected at several locations in central and eastern Queensland on Saturday. These areas include Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma. Crock noted that the region has already experienced a very wet week, with conditions more typical of January or February rather than October.

The bad weather will extend beyond Queensland. Severe storms may impact parts of Victoria, including the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, as well as central and eastern South Australia. In Tasmania, heavy rain is forecast to develop overnight and continue into Sunday morning. A cold front is expected to cross New South Wales on Sunday, bringing severe thunderstorms to the western part of the state, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane.

Queensland has endured extreme rainfall over the past several days. Some areas received more than double their average October rainfall. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded seven-day totals between 300mm and 400mm, with some spots reaching 450mm. Crock explained that the pattern drew in large amounts of moisture, causing totals to build up over a period of seven to 10 days across Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The heaviest rain fell on Thursday, when torrential downpours stretched from Caboolture south to the Border Ranges. Some places received well over 200mm in that single day. The rain caused flash flooding, triggered water rescues, and generated hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools were forced to close on Friday due to the conditions.

Emergency services responded to the flooding with specific rescue operations. The Queensland fire department carried out more than 16 swift-water rescues. In one incident, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man who was clinging to the roof of his vehicle in Caboolture.