Flood record on brink of sinking as rain misery goes on
Severe weather will continue to wreak havoc across Australia on Tuesday, with flooding reaching record levels in North Queensland and wild winds threatening to fan Victoria’s raging bushfires.
Heatwave warnings are also in place for most states until Thursday— NSW, Victoria, SA, WA and Tasmania — with temperatures likely to reach the mid-40s in places.
Meanwhile, two cyclones have developed off the coast of Western Australia and are being monitored for their impacts.
Floodwaters rise
In Queensland, a 58-year-old record might be broken with floodwaters expected to rise after another day of heavy rainfall.
A widespread deluge that has cut power, damaged roads and destroyed a bridge in north Queensland is forecast to continue on Tuesday, sounding alarm bells.
The weather bureau’s Jonathan How said even after the rain eased, flooding would continue for the next few days.
Possible isolated six-hourly falls of 100 millimetres to 180 millimetres were still possible on Tuesday.
A three-day downpour has caused major flooding across the region, with Ingham’s Herbert River one of the worst hit.
Locals fear the river will reach record levels, with the 1967 mark of 15.2 metres at risk of being eclipsed with more rain forecast.
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The Herbert River on Monday was only centimetres shy of the 1967 record that devastated the region and there is no relief in sight.
Major flooding has also impacted the Ross and Haughton Rivers near Townsville as well as Charters Towers’ Upper Burdekin.
“We’re likely to continue to see these rivers rise or stay at the major flood level through to Tuesday,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore said.
“With forecast rainfall, that means we could see renewed rises… and that’s why we are concerned.”
Floodwaters have inundated the town of Ingham. Photo: Facebook (Kieran Volpe)
Rain and thunderstorms have been forecast across much of north Queensland through to Tuesday night, particularly flood-affected areas between Innisfail and Ayr.
Record flooding would be another blow to the Ingham community.
It is already reeling after a 63-year-old woman died when an SES boat helping people through floodwaters struck a tree and flipped on Sunday.
It has received another blow, with a major Bruce Highway link — the Ollera Creek Bridge near Ingham — collapsing into the water on Sunday.
Local mayor Ramon Jayo described it as “another disaster” for Ingham which was without power after its substation was flooded, only had five days of fresh water left and must rely on supply drops by helicopter.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated and many rescued across the region, with more than a metre of rain recorded near Townsville.
A severe weather warning was current on Monday from Tully down the coast to Ayr as “major and dangerous flooding” continued.
Up to 200 millimetres of rain is possible in the coming days across large parts of the north, with isolated falls of up to 300 millimetres between Ingham and Ayr.
Bushfires rage
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Wild winds could further fan the flames in fire-ravaged Victoria as fatigued crews continue to battle to protect property.
A wind change from a moderate to fresh southerly forecast for Tuesday will challenge the ability of fire crews to keep a number of blazes across the state under control.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Michael Ephron said wind changes were always a concern with fire in the landscape, but the bureau would keep an eye on timings and positioning of those winds.
The biggest of the fires still burning, in the Grampians, was a “long way from over”, Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said.
He said while crews were fatigued, authorities were ensuring firefighters were being rotated.
“This is a long game, and they’re going to need to be maintain their capability and fitness to be able to do this for many more weeks to come,” he told reporters.
“It’s been a very long season, and we are still very much at the beginning of that season. We can expect this fire season to go through toward the end of February even into March.”
Horsham Incident Control Centre Deputy Incident Controller Ben Matthews said more than 500 firefighters, aided by multiple aircraft, were working to contain the fires, with a focus on asset protection, particularly in the Victoria Valley.
He said strong winds had already caused numerous spot fires, but despite the dynamic and rapidly changing situation, firefighters from both Victoria and interstate were working tirelessly.
An emergency warning remains in place for the Grampians fire not yet under control.
Additional watch and act orders have been issued for four fires in the Great Otways National Park in Victoria’s southwest, at Apollo Bay, Cape Horn, Hordern Vale and Cape Otway
Temperatures are set to peak at 42 degrees in Ouyen, 35 degrees in Melbourne and Ararat and 32 degrees in Geelong.
A cool change is due to move through South Australia on Tuesday afternoon before crossing into Victoria and Tasmania.
It will then be Western Australia’s turn for heatwave conditions later in the week.
All nine Victorian regions have high fire danger ratings on Tuesday.
– with AAP
