Rain to ease in north, as extreme heat hits southern Australia
After another wet day, flood-affected parts of northern Queensland are finally due for a much-needed reprieve.
A weather system due to drop up to 200 millimetres of rain across the north tropical coast by Tuesday is forecast to weaken.
It comes after a fortnight of record falls that caused two deaths and hundreds of evacuations, and cut power to thousands.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning from Tully down to Bowen on Tuesday, before the rain is forecast to ease and shift away on Wednesday.
Flood warnings remain for the Flinders, Cape, Herbert and Haughton rivers, while flood watches exist in parts of the Peninsula and Gulf Country.
“We’re going to see a clearance as we move into Thursday and Friday with the rainfall contracting to the north of Cairns into the Peninsula district,” BOM senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said on Tuesday.
“So our last day of heavy rainfall and severe weather conditions likely from Tully down to Ayr, with heavy falls possible between Cardwell and Ayr.”
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Residents can start picking up the pieces and turn to clean-up efforts following weeks of rain.
Critical supplies to the region will also increase with the Ollera Creek Bridge on the Bruce Highway north of Townsville reopened.
The bridge was destroyed by floodwaters before the Australian Defence Force built a temporary replacement.
Total damage costs for the area are still yet to be seen with insurers having received more than 5690 storm and flood-related claims.
“While the clean-up is beginning for some parts of North Queensland, for others this very much remains an active weather event,” Insurance Council of Australia chief executive Andrew Hall said.
“Ongoing rain is seeing opened roads re-close and causing further inundation to already saturated communities.”
Farmers are also unlikely to know the true extent of damage until floodwaters recede.
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“Floods are very insidious things, when you’re looking at 10 to 12 days of damage before you can even start to think about what you need to do, to rebuild is pretty hard,” Canegrowers chief executive Dan Galligan said.
The country’s south is in for two very hot days. Image: Weatherzone
Heat in the south
Further south, the concerns are for heat rather than rain, with parts of South Australia expecting “one of the hottest days in half a decade” on Wednesday.
Temperatures are set to soar into the mid-40s across much of SA on Wednesday, and the high 30s in Victoria on Thursday, ahead of a cool change.
“A searing hot airmass across parts of SA may bring one of the hottest days in half a decade, with strong and gusty winds causing extreme fire danger across multiple states,” forecaster Weatherzone said.
Adelaide has endured a sweaty night, with temperatures staying in the mid to high-20s – “setting the tone for an extremely hot Wednesday”.
“The temperature should remain in the 40s at around 6pm local time Wednesday night and should remain in the 30s until midnight before a cool southerly change arrives,” Weatherzone said.
Melburnians are in for a warm night on Wednesday, with temperatures expected to drop only to 23 degrees before a peak of 38 degrees on Thursday.
“[That’s] ahead of a cool change forecast to sweep across the city in the early evening, providing some relief,” Weatherzone said.
The heat will be fuelled by strong and gusty winds that will also bring extreme fire danger to multiple states.
On Thursday, the heat is also likely to hit in Tasmania, western NSW and south-western Queensland.
– with AAP
