Weather News

Summer rain drenches QLD Southeast Coast

Coolangatta recorded more than a third of their monthly rainfall in just one hour this morning as heavy rain soaked Queensland's southeast coast.

Moist easterly winds feeding into a coastal trough were responsible for this morning's downpour. This set-up is common during summer and the deluge is a reminder of what is to come during the months ahead for the region.

Coolangatta recorded 43mm of rain in one hour just before 8:30am. This brings their running total for the morning to 56mm as of 9am, the highest since April. Elsewhere, Tewantin recorded 17mm to 9am and Maroochydore collected 11mm.

November and December represent the transition from drier months of winter to the rainy summer months. However, November was drier than usual through parts of southeast Queensland, with Coolangatta, Beerburrum and Redlands all registering below average rainfall.

Looking ahead, this trend is unlikely to continue into the New Year for the state's southeast. Relatively warm waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean are likely to cause close to or just above average rainfall during the summer months. However, unlike the last two summers, this rain will be delivered in heavier but less frequent loads. This reduces the likelihood of widespread flooding, although flash flooding is still a risk.

Showers will ease throughout the rest of Friday, with Saturday remaining generally dry along the coast. Next week is looking damp, with persistent onshore winds expected to generate showers each working day.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2012

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