As Christmas celebrations got underway, two contrasting weather crises unfolded in different parts of Australia.
A massive bushfire raged out of control in Victoria’s west, while severe flooding continued to wreak havoc in Queensland’s north and far north.
Bushfire Chaos in Victoria
In Victoria, a massive bushfire in the Grampians national park grew to a whopping 34,000 hectares on Sunday, after it was sparked by lightning strikes almost a week ago. The fire has forced residents to flee their homes in Halls Gap, Bellfield, Flat Rock Crossing, Grampians Junction, and Fyans Creek. Although the warning was downgraded to “watch and act” late on Sunday morning, it’s still unsafe for residents to return.
Emergency services warn that the fire could burn for weeks due to the dry terrain and lack of forecasted rain in the region. The Grampians national park was closed on Friday due to the blaze, and Victoria’s state response controller, Garry Cook, said on Saturday that firefighters are working hard to contain the fire ahead of increased fire risk on Boxing Day, when temperatures are expected to soar to 39C.
Inaccessible Terrain Hampers Firefighting Efforts
The terrain is making it tough for firefighters to access the affected areas, so they’re doing their best to attack the fire from the air where safe to do so. Cook emphasized that the priority is protecting human life, and people in surrounding areas need to remain alert and ready to take action.
One Halls Gap resident, Robyn Murphy, who fled her home, told ABC radio about the disruption to her Christmas plans: “All the presents, all the yummy food in the fridge… All prepared to have a nice Christmas and now we’re out of home, so it’s sad.”
Flooding Woes in Queensland
Meanwhile, in Queensland, severe flooding continued to impact parts of the state’s north and far north, with flood warnings remaining in place. Over 340mm of flooding rain fell in just six hours in some areas, causing widespread falls of up to 100mm.
The deluge triggered a string of flood warnings, including for the Herbert River, the Haughton River catchment, and the Don and Bohle rivers. Critical sections of the Bruce Highway were closed throughout Saturday, but the highway reopened around 10am on Sunday.
Rescue Operation and Flood Warnings
Two people were trapped in their car in the Whitsundays, prompting a rescue operation south of Airlie Beach on the Bruce Highway late on Friday. A flood warning was also issued for the north tropical coast and parts of the central coast, which includes the Daintree, Mossman, and Barron rivers.
The wet weather system began to move eastwards and further offshore over the coming days, but catchments across the flood watch area are still wet from recent heavy rainfall and saturated in parts.
Weather Forecast for the Region
Sunday is forecast to bring isolated to scattered showers and the chance of a thunderstorm in northern and far northern Queensland, north of about Mackay to Hughenden. Possible severe thunderstorms with a risk of heavy rainfall are forecast north of Ingham, while heavy rainfall with storms are also predicted north of Townsville and south of Weipa.
Thunderstorms are possible north of Ayr and in western and far southern Queensland. The wet-weather system won’t be as heavy as recent days, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
A gale warning is in place for the Great Barrier Reef offshore, and a strong wind warning has been issued for the Townsville and Mackay coasts.
As the country continues to grapple with these two contrasting weather crises, our thoughts are with those affected and the emergency services working tirelessly to keep people safe.