Tropical Terror: Far North Queensland Braces for Catastrophic Cyclone as Heavy Rain and Damaging Winds Bear Down
- Severe weather warning issued for North Tropical Coast, with heavy rainfall and damaging winds forecast
- Townsville City Council opens Ross River Dam spillway to reduce flood risk, as residents prepare for the worst
- Communities in north-west Queensland isolated for over a week, with 29,240 head of livestock dead or missing and more rain on the way
Far North Queensland is on high alert as a tropical low threatens to unleash catastrophic weather, with severe rainfall and damaging winds forecast to batter the region. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a severe weather warning for the North Tropical Coast, stretching from Hope Vale to Hamilton Island, with residents warned to prepare for the worst.
As the tropical low, named 12U, moves towards the coast, the BOM is predicting heavy rainfall and damaging winds, with falls exceeding 250mm possible in some areas. The rain has already started to intensify, with parts of the Cassowary Coast recording over 100mm in the 24 hours to 9am, and Garradunga, a small locality just outside Innisfail, copping a whopping 227mm.
Townsville City Council has taken proactive measures to reduce the flood risk, opening the Ross River Dam spillway to release water and bring the dam back to 100% drinking water capacity. “We’re doing our best to manage the dam levels while making sure that residents are well informed and have the tools to be resilient this wet season,” said Townsville City Mayor Nick Dametto.
But it’s not just the coastal communities that are bracing for impact – inland towns are also on high alert, with flood warnings in place for the Flinders River and Norman River. The number of livestock found dead across north-west Queensland is expected to rise, with already devastated producers facing the threat of more rain and further flooding.
Senior meteorologist Laura Boekel warned that regardless of whether a tropical cyclone is declared, heavy rainfall is expected for much of the far north’s coastal areas. “We can certainly see rainfall long after that system has moved on to the coast, so it will be bringing with it a large amount of tropical moisture,” she said.
As the region prepares for the worst, councils in north-west Queensland are calling for improved flood warning infrastructure, citing “inadequacies and anomalies” in the current system. “We want to get consistent and effective information from the infrastructure that’s situated across the region… to have the information that is required to be able to make sure that our communities are safe,” said North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils chair Barry Hughes.
In the meantime, residents are being urged to prepare for the worst, with flood watch warnings issued for multiple areas, including Cairns, Yarrabah, Wujal Wujal, Port Douglas, Hope Vale, Atherton, Mareeba, Palm Island, Cardwell, Ingham, Ayr, Townsville, Bowen, Airlie Beach, and the Whitsunday Islands.
As the tropical low bears down on Far North Queensland, one thing is certain – the region is in for a wild ride. Stay tuned for further updates as this developing story continues to unfold.
