Multiple Qld flood warnings as Wivenhoe Dam spills
It's an extremely dangerous day in southeast Queensland this Friday, with heavy rain intensifying and flood warnings in effect across the region.
Early on Friday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a Severe Weather Warning for heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding, for the Wide Bay and Burnett, Southeast Coast, parts of Capricornia, and the Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts.
Source: BoM.
Brisbane has received its fair share of rain from this system, and is in line for plenty more today. The city received 67.6 mm to 9 am Friday, after 40.4 mm in the previous 24 hours (that's 108 mm in two days, when the city’s May average is only 61.1 mm).
More heavy rain is expected today in Brisbane, with ferries and CityCat services on the Brisbane River suspended due to the weather and water releases from Wivenhoe Dam.
But on Friday morning, the main area of concern is the catchments to the west of the city where rainfall is currently heaviest, and where several weather stations recorded more than 100 mm of rain in a six-hour period overnight.
Minor flooding is being reported at locations right across southeast Queensland, and a more serious situation looms in places like the Lockyer Valley, about 100 km west of Brisbane, parts of which flooded in February.
The flood siren in the Lockyer Valley town of Grantham has already been set off to warn residents in low-lying areas to get to higher ground as waters rise in the area.
This rain and flooding is crazy all up and down the coast, thinking of everyone please have a plan to get out don’t wait for someone to knock on the door, Lockyer valley, Sunshine Coast and surrounds please be careful, @mjrowland68 updates today have been great brotherðŸ–�ðŸ�½ pic.twitter.com/8LGN0VSM4o
— Troy Cassar-Daley (@troycassardaley) May 12, 2022
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of rainfall totals of between 100 and 160 mm possible in six-hour periods today. We’ll keep you updated as this intense rainfall continues throughout Friday.
And of course, please check our Warnings page if you live in affected areas.
It's also worth noting that flood warnings remain in place for rivers in north Queensland, although the rain has well and truly cleared that region now. The focus is now on the Qld coastal fringe and nearby inland areas, anywhere south of about Rockhampton.