Skies open over QLD and NSW
Ben Domensino,
Friday January 17, 2020 - 11:13 AEDT
Parts of eastern Australia have received their best rain in more than two years during the last 24 hours.
A low pressure trough interacting with a mass of moisture-laden air produced widespread showers and thunderstorms in NSW and Queensland on Thursday and Friday morning.
During the 24 hours to 9am local time on Friday, falls of 10-30mm were recorded across large areas of both states, with some places picking up over 100mm. Some of this rain fell during severe thunderstorms, causing rain rates that are conducive to flash flooding.
Image: Thunderstorms over eastern Australia on Thursday afternoon.
In NSW, falls were hit and miss but many places over the eastern half of the state saw some decent rain. Boonanghi's 126mm was the highest in the state during the 24 hours to 9am on Friday. Bulahdelah's 112mm was its highest daily total in at least three years and more rain than the last five months combined. Moree (51mm) and Parkes (36mm) both had their heaviest rain since 2017.
Image: Thunderstorms over NSW on Thursday afternoon.
Fortunately, some of the rain helped ease the bushfire situation in NSW. According to the state's Rural Fire Service, rain fell across most of the state's firegrounds during the last 24 hours. However, there were still 82 fires burning across the state on Friday morning.
In Queensland, a rain gauge at Palen Creek topped the state with 178mm during the 24 hours to 9am on Friday, its highest daily total in seven years. Blackwater (65mm) and Thangool (48mm) collected their heaviest rain since 2017, while Emerald (76mm) and Rolleston (44mm) had their best falls in two years.
Image: Thunderstorms over Queensland on Thursday afternoon.
This week's rain is bringing some relief to drought-affected areas of eastern Australia. At the end of 2019, 100 percent of NSW and nearly 70 percent of Queensland were being affected by drought.
- Weatherzone
© Weatherzone
2020