North east Australia hit by unusually heavy rain by John Hammond
Parts of Queensland are today recovering after high winds and heavy rain hit the region, causing widespread flooding. Since the rain began on Thursday, more than 300mm (11.8 inches) of rain has been recorded in the north-eastern part of the state forcing many residents to evacuate their homes.
The heavy rain and strong winds has been attributed to an area of low pressure which settled over south east Queensland earlier in the week. Expert Jeff Callaghan at the Bureau of Meteorology said that this type of weather system was extremely rare for this time of year, with the last one not seen since the 1800’s.
The rainfall eased on Saturday, but many flood warnings still remain in place. The flood height of the river Noosa in Queensland yesterday reached 1.6m (5.25ft) and is still rising, prompting many nearby residents to lay down sandbags. Despite the rains easing there is still some concern over flooding, with many officials saying it is simply a waiting game to see if the next high tide will tip any of the rivers to burst their banks
