Queensland’s north coast is on alert for potentially life-threatening flash flooding as a monsoon trough brings severe thunderstorms and intense downpours to the region.
The Bureau of Meteorology says six-hour rainfall totals between 100 and 180 mm are likely and isolated 24-hour totals of more than 300mm possible along a 450km stretch of coast between Innisfail and Bowen and inland areas on Saturday and into Sunday.
It has issued flood watch notifications for Charters Towers, Bowen, Townsville, Palm Island, Ingham, Innisfail, Ayr, Cardwell, Giru, Abergowrie, Clare and Lucinda.
“Locally intense rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is also possible over small portions of the warning area during this period,” the bureau said.
A vast swathe of inland central and northern Queensland could also see moderate to major flooding with 17 catchments placed on flood watch.
The dynamic monsoon trough has made it difficult for forecasters to get a handle on exactly which towns and settlements could be at risk of deluge.
“At this stage, there is some uncertainty over the location of the heaviest rainfall and therefore which catchments are most at risk of flooding,” the bureau said on Friday
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Queensland Fire and Emergency Services warned residents to keep up to date with warnings and alerts and not to attempt to drive through floodwaters.
Police echoed the caution as the “extraordinary weather” set in over the next several days.
“Trying to navigate these hazards, either in vehicles or on foot, can be treacherous, as water levels rise and fall quickly and very often with little or no warning,” police said in a statement.
“Emergency services are struggling to comprehend why some motorists ignore notice signs and warnings that are erected on flooded roads.”
A police 4WD with an officer inside was swept off the Pump Creek causeway, near Almaden in Far North Queensland, on Friday afternoon.
The officer managed to get out of the vehicle as it was swept into Pump Creek and swam a short distance to the creek bank.
He was not injured.
The bureau also said a tropical low could develop near the northeast coast over the weekend or early next week.
