Rain and thunder soaking central QLD
Ben McBurney,
Monday September 22, 2014 - 12:44 AEST
Rain and thunderstorms have barely let up over the past day over central QLD, drenching some places with their best rain in over a year with more on the way today.
A trough amplified by cold and unstable upper level air is combining with moist easterly winds, generating widespread rain and thunderstorms over central parts of the state.
Over the past 24 hours, more than 21000 cloud to ground lightning strikes sparked within a 500km radius of Blackall. Many of these occurred overnight which would have treated residents to a fantastic lightning show, on top of some healthy rain.
Springsure recorded an impressive 58mm in the 24 hours to 9am, the best rain the town has seen since February last year. Lochington collected 60mm, its heaviest rain in ten months while 39mm fell at Emerald, its biggest September fall in sixteen years.
More rain is on the way today as well, although falls will begin to become lighter as the trough begins to break down. Further widespread falls of 15-30mm are likely, with isolated falls of up to 50mm in some thunderstorms.
The rain is fantastic news for the region for which large parts are drought declared, although the falls are unlikely to be drought breakers. The state's west is particularly in need, with Longreach only seeing 128.6mm so far this year, well short of the average of 335.9mm typically seen by this time of the year.
While only light showers will linger on Tuesday and Wednesday, another trough brings the risk of further showers and thunderstorms on Thursday, mainly in the state's south with rainfall totals likely to be significantly lighter.
- Weatherzone
© Weatherzone
2014