Weather News

North QLD making up for poor wet season

Tristan Meyers, Sunday May 22, 2016 - 13:53 AEST

A pulse of tropical activity has brought more rainfall than any wet season day for parts of north Queensland.

For Cooktown, the 208mm that fell in the 24 hours to 9am this morning makes it the heaviest May rain in over 120 years of records. Cairns copped a bit over 100m - the last May day that rivals this was 94 years ago, in 1920 where 127mm fell.

Widespread rain in excess of 100mm fell along the Cairns coast and hinterland, with rainfall totals of 238mm at Bolinda, 269mm at Japoonvale and 254mm at Whyanbeel Creek. Totals began to taper off to the 25-50mm range west of the Tully area.

Copperlode Dam, which services Cairns' freshwater supplies, got 117mm in the 24 hours to 9am this morning. This will help to replenish dam levels, which as of the 18th of May were 16% less than this time last year.

For Cooktown, Cairns, Cape Flattery (92mm) and Mareeba (with a more modest 40mm), these 24-hour totals were heavier than any one day in the last wet season.

This region is receiving yet another dousing today. Rain will be very heavy again on Monday, before it eases and contracts further to the coastal fringe each day this coming week as a ridge builds from the south.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2016

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A very wet weekend for southeast Qld, northeast NSW

11:48 AEST A prolonged rainfall event is set to bring large totals to parts of NSW and Qld from Saturday, with possible heavy falls and flooding. A low-pressure system in the Coral Sea, a deepening coastal trough and persistent easterlies will bring moisture-laden air into southeast Qld and northeast NSW will bring days of rainfall to the region. While there is not a drop of rain on the radar over southeast Qld and Northeast NSW on Friday morning, the mass of cloud associated with a low in the Coral Sea will enhance rainfall over the weekend.