Queenslanders should prepare themselves for more wet weather, with severe thunderstorms involving heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hail predicted to hit parts of the state on Thursday.
A flood watch warning is in place across northern Peninsula catchments, with heavy rainfall forecast across the northern Peninsula and Torres Strait for the next few days.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said the rainfall may lead to “localised flash flooding along with renewed river rises given the saturated conditions in the area.”
“These conditions are expected to occur with a tropical low (15U) that is forecast to move westwards across the Northern Cape and Torres Strait during Thursday and into Friday,” the spokesperson said.
“This system should track over northern Gulf of Carpentaria waters or towards the Arafura Sea over the weekend.”
The spokesperson said there was a moderate – 20-30 per cent – chance it would develop into a tropical cyclone.
In South and Central Queensland, residents should get ready for severe thunderstorms, with locally damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall possible in parts of southeast Queensland on Thursday afternoon and evening, particularly around the Border Ranges and Granite Belt.
Severe storms are possible across the Gold Coast, western Brisbane suburbs, the Main Range and the southern Darling Downs.
The Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said non-severe storms were possible in south eastern and central parts of the state, south of about Longreach to Rockhampton and east of Longreach to Thargomindah.
“Drier conditions are expected to return to the south east on Friday, with just the outside chance of light showers,” the spokesperson said.
“Showers are generally expected to increase across southeastern Queensland and parts of central Queensland over the weekend.
“This activity may even tend to areas of rain with some moderate to locally heavy falls possible, especially near the coast.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has several warnings in place for minor and moderate flood flooding that continues in parts of western and southern Queensland.
Outside Queensland, parts of NSW can also expect severe storms with large hailstones, damaging winds and heavy rainfall on Thursday with a chance of thunderstorms continuing through the weekend.
WEEKEND FORECAST FOR CAPITAL CITIES
Perth
Saturday — sunny, max 30
Sunday — sunny, max 30
Melbourne
Saturday — partly cloudy, max 18
Sunday — partly cloudy, max 18
Sydney
Saturday — showers, max 22
Sunday — partly cloudy, max 23
Brisbane
Saturday — shower or two, max 26
Sunday — showers, max 24
Adelaide
Saturday — sunny, max 22
Sunday — sunny, max 22
Canberra
Saturday — mostly sunny, max 20
Sunday — sunny, max 21
Hobart
Saturday — mostly sunny, max 19
Sunday — partly cloudy, max 21
Darwin
Saturday — mostly sunny, max 34
Sunday — mostly sunny, max 34
Source Agencies
