Parts of outback Queensland are preparing for heavy rainfall of up to 200mm within the next 24 hours, prompting warnings of potential flash flooding. Residents in the Central Western and northern regions of the state are advised to brace for this extreme weather, which is expected to persist until tomorrow.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning covering significant areas of the Central West and Channel Country. According to senior meteorologist Angus Hines, these expansive outback regions could receive as much as 100mm of rain, with isolated areas possibly experiencing up to 200mm.
The heavy rainfall began yesterday morning, with notable measurements recorded by 5am AEST today: Paluma on the Far North Queensland coast saw 124mm, Malboona in the Central West recorded 121mm, and Quilpie in the Channel Country received 110mm. Flood warnings have been activated for several rivers in the central and western regions, with particular concern surrounding the Bulloo River, which is under a major flood alert.
Communities at risk include Longreach, Quilpie, Windorah, Isisford, Barcaldine, and Winton. Although conditions are anticipated to improve starting tomorrow, the wet weather is expected to persist into the weekend, with most areas across Queensland likely to receive between 50mm and 150mm of rain. Some outback regions could receive up to 300mm before the weather settles early next week.
On the other side of Australia, Western Australia is experiencing a late-season heatwave, with maximum temperatures in the south-western region, including Perth, reaching 35 degrees Celsius or higher for much of the week.