Weather News

Rain targeting Queensland and New South Wales

Brett Dutschke, Monday August 22, 2016 - 12:44 AEST

About a week ago, computer models had suggested rain was a chance to spread across all Australian states and territories, and it has come true, now the focus is on Queensland and New South Wales.

This past weekend, rain, albeit patchy, had fallen over each state and territory and this much-talked-about area of rain is now focussing on Queensland and New South Wales.

Rain should become heavy enough to lead to flooding due to a low pressure trough moving to an area of higher atmospheric moisture as it intensifies.

Flooding is most likely over western and southern Queensland and northern and eastern NSW where instability and moisture should combine the most.

Widespread 40-to-80 millimetres is likely with potential for more than 100mm, aided by a cooling upper atmosphere. Some areas should receive their heaviest rain in at least two months. Places with the best chance of seeing their biggest falls in a few months include the Roma, St George, Moree, Tamworth and western Sydney areas.

Accompanying the heaviest rain will be wintry cold with daytime temperatures struggling to reach the mid teens, as much as four-to-eight degrees below the August average.

Between Monday and Wednesday some places should experience their coldest August day in several years, potentially more than a decade.

Rain this past weekend and for the coming week is largely due to a broad low pressure trough combining with tropical moisture as it moves from west to east.

The broad system has already contributed 44mm to South Australia's Robe, 26mm to Tasmania's Deal Island, 25mm to Victoria's Edenhope, 18mm to Queensland's Bollon, 13mm to NSW's Narrabri and the Northern Territory's Arltunga, 6mm to the WA Kimberley's Elgee Cliffs and 3mm to the ACT's Ginninderra.

The broad trough is made up of areas of relatively high and low instability and moisture, hence parts of each state and territory have stayed dry and will stay dry for the next few days.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2016

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