Press Release

Flood and wind damage in all states

06/09/2010: The first few days of spring brought flooding or wind damage to all Australian states and territories, all due to one low pressure system, according to weatherzone.com.au.

Each state and territory has had somewhere recording more than 50 millimetres of rain and wind speeds in excess of 80 km/h.

Flood and wind damage has been generally minor across the country, little more than an inconvenience. But the most intense rain and wind has been in the southeast, particularly Victoria, where major flooding is still occurring after record rain.

"It all started in Western Australia last Wednesday, when the low formed in cold air over the state," Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said.

By Friday parts of the Central Wheat Belt, Goldfields and Eucla had their heaviest September rain on record. Eucla township gained more than 120mm.

"On Friday the low had crossed South Australia, where with the help of tropical moisture, brought the biggest downpours in several years to Adelaide and most agricultural areas," Dutschke said.

Flash flooding occurred in Adelaide where 50 to 70mm fell, the heaviest September rain on record in some cases. Flooding rains also affected the Flinders Ranges in the north, where Blinman had 124mm and Leigh Creek 98mm.

"During Friday night, Saturday and Sunday the low moved towards Tasmania and deepened, which caused winds to become very strong across all southeastern states. It also took the heaviest rain to Tasmania, Victoria and western parts of New South Wales and Queensland."

Parts of the southeast recorded their strongest winds in five to 10 years, knocking down large trees and powerlines. They reached 102 km/h in Stenhouse Bay on southern Yorke Peninsula, 118 km/h at Cape Otway in western Victoria, 124 km/h at South Channel Island on Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay and 124 km/h at Bellambi in the Illawarra.

Winds were as strong as 137 km/h at Falls Creek and exceeded 95 km/h in Adelaide and 90 km/h in Sydney and the Hunter.

Regarding rain, the heaviest was focused on northeastern Victoria where more than 200mm fell on the ranges between Friday night and Sunday night.

"Combine this rain with some alpine snow melt and it becomes a fast-moving torrent of water to areas which didn't have so much rain," Dutschke said.

Wangaratta and Shepparton barely had more than 40mm of rain but the Ovens and Goulburn rivers are peaking above the major flood level in each town.

It's not only Victoria's northeast with major flooding problems. Many northern and western towns close are similarly affected after receiving 50 to 100mm of rain. St Arnauds in the state's west gained 93mm, a September record.

Flooding has been more moderate in New South Wales and the ACT despite Batlow on the South West Slopes picking up more than 150mm and Tuggeranong more than 75mm, their biggest September rain in more than a decade.

Even parts of the interior of NSW, the Northern Territory and Queensland had a month's rain in a day, but this only led to minor flooding. Arltunga and Monto broke long-term September records with 43mm and 73mm respectively.

"With rain reaching so far and wide, it could be termed the biggest rain event of its kind in more than a decade," Dutschke said.

"It's not over yet. More rain is on the way for much of the interior and southeast, adding to the pain in flood affected areas."

"Rain and storms are already developing over the northwest tropics and will spread east and south during the next few days. It generally won't be nearly as heavy as during the last few days, but many could do without it."

Media Inquiries:

Brett Dutschke
media@weatherzone.com.au
02 9965 9269

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