Prosper in a dynamic world
Search

One month’s rain soaks Gold Coast overnight

Parts of southeast Qld just received more than a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours, with some areas on the Gold Coast collecting around 100 mm in six hours overnight.

A low pressure trough and developing low pressure system produced thick clouds and widespread rain across southeast Qld and northeast NSW during Monday night into Tuesday morning.

Video: Radar imagery showing observed rainfall over southeast Qld and northeast NSW between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.

Most places to the east of a line from Gympie to Goondiwindi and north of Lismore received 30 to 80 mm of rain during the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday.

A focussed area of heavy rain inundated the Gold Coast and Tweed Coast and adjacent hinterland, where numerous rain gauges received 100 to 150 mm during this period.

The heaviest falls during the 24 hours ending at 9am on Tuesday included 168 mm at Loder Creek Dam, 158 mm at Molendinar and 151 mm at Biggera Ck Dam.

Coolangatta’s 117 mm in this period was its heaviest daily total in May since 1990. The Gold Coast Seaway also picked up 116 mm to 9am on Tuesday, its wettest May day since 2003.

On the NSW side of the border, Byron Bay’s 53.2 mm up to 9am Tuesday was half a month’s worth of rain for this time of year.

While rain has been intense in some areas, this is only a short-lived event. Drier weather had already returned to most areas of southeast Qld and northeast NSW by Tuesday morning and the last of the rain should clear off the coast by the afternoon.

DTN APAC’s meteorologists can provide special, short-notice weather briefings when severe weather is expected for your business, explaining what will happen and its impact on you business. To find out more, please email us at apac.sales@dtn.com.

Latest news

Satisfy your weather obsession with these news headlines from around the nation, and the world.

Signs of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, but it may not follow the textbook

Waters off Indonesia have cooled in recent weeks, an indication that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event could be developing. It’s an important climate driver for Australia, and it could shape rainfall and temperatures heading into summer, with flow-on effects for farmers, energy and other industries.  What is the Indian Ocean Dipole?  The IOD […]

1.3 million lightning strikes and a record September downpour: the storms testing WA’s Goldfields

Leonora, WA, had its wettest September day on record earlier this month. Three weeks later, more than 1.3 million lightning pulses were detected within 800 km of the town in 48 hours. Why is a stalled trough delivering storms to mining country, and what it could mean for operations?  The DTN Total Lightning Network detected […]

A very low wind power week, likely to continue

A stubborn blocking high over southern Australia will make for a very quiet week for wind generation and the pattern behind it isn’t a one-off.   It’s the seasonal signature of a super (very strong) El Niño combined with a positive Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and both the historical record and the current seasonal forecast suggest it’s likely to keep recurring through spring before a potential switch from November.  The setup right […]

Fastest strengthening El Niño on record: Impacts on Australian monsoon timing and wet season planning

Australia’s Mining and Resources sectors are bracing for a wet season shaped by one of the most rapidly developing El Niño events on record.    Looking back at how the strongest El Niño events in Australian history have played out, it becomes apparent that mining operations in Australia should be planning for a later monsoon […]