Sydney, March 6: The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe flood warning for Queensland. A tropical low-pressure storm system is moving towards the northeastern coast of the state.
The Bureau stated that heavy rainfall is expected in a 350-kilometer area along Queensland’s tropical far north starting Friday morning.
They warned, “Locally intense rainfall is likely, which could lead to dangerous and life-threatening flooding.”
Cities in the warning zone include Cairns, Port Douglas, and Cooktown, with a combined population of approximately 255,000.
Forecasts suggest that this area could receive up to 240 millimeters of rain in six hours and 300 millimeters within 24 hours.
Meteorologists previously warned that this tropical low-pressure system has a 45% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone as it approaches the coast. However, by Friday morning, this likelihood was reduced to just 5%.
The storm is expected to begin near the town of Cardwell, with the heaviest rainfall occurring north near Cairns, Port Douglas, and Cooktown. Earlier, on March 2, emergency warnings were issued for life-threatening flooding in the southeastern states of Victoria and New South Wales.
The Bureau also issued severe weather warnings for central and northern Victoria, as well as heavy and locally intense rainfall in the south and southwest.
It was noted that on Monday, the warning area could see up to 100 millimeters of rain in six hours, affecting a 650-kilometer stretch from the town of Simmer in central Victoria to Broken Hill.
Emergency services in Victoria and NSW advised residents not to drive through floodwaters and to stay away from waterways.
Updates on flood watches issued by the Bureau indicated that heavy rainfall could impact over 20 reservoirs in both states.
