More than 1600 homes and businesses in the Far North have lost power as heavy rain builds after a tropical low moved into the Gulf of Carpentaria overnight.
MORE than 1600 homes and businesses across the Far North and Cape York have lost power as heavy rain builds after a tropical low moved into the Gulf of Carpentaria overnight.
Free sandbags are available for Cairns residents, a campground has been closed and a severe weather warning is in place for much of the region as the wild weather sets in.
The Bureau of Meteorology on Wednesday morning warned heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is expected for an area southwest of Weipa to Coen.
A flood watch is also in place for rivers in the Far North ahead of the systemтАЩs expected movement.
Just short of 230mm of rain fell at Kowanyama in the 24 hours to 8am Wednesday and falls are ramping up over Cairns as well.
As of 12pm Wednesday, more than 900 Ergon Energy customers in Caravonica, Kamerunga and Redlynch had lost power due to damage requiring emergency repairs.
Ergon says crews are working on-site.
Fallen powerlines have cut power to hundreds more in Kuranda and Saddle Mountain, while residents in Weipa, Napranum and Aurukun are also affected.
The BOM says the tropical low will reach Cairns by Thursday afternoon, bringing with it more widespread rainfall and damaging winds.
A severe weather warning is current for much of Cape York and the Tablelands, and bureau meteorologist Adam Blazak said he would expect that in the coming days that warning would encompass Cairns as well.
Thursday will see the heaviest falls in the Cairns region, with 35-80mm forecast.
тАЬBut really over that Cape York peninsula throughout today and tomorrow there will be widespread falls of between 50-100mm,тАЭ Mr Blazak said.
He said there was opportunity for falls of in excess of 200-300mm around the Cassowary Coast, and further north as well.
Mr Blazak said the weather was the result of an active monsoon trough over the top end of Australia, within which was embedded the tropical low.
After hanging around Darwin at Christmas time, the low has been steadily pushing east.
тАЬItтАЩs currently sitting in the Gulf of Carpentaria and weтАЩre expecting it to starting to significantly affect the Cairns area by Thursday afternoon,тАЭ he said.
The drenching will ease from Friday onwards as the low moves off the coast.
Mr Blazak said people needed to be careful of rapid river rises, and those on the western Cape should be cautious of тАЬabnormally high tidesтАЭ on Wednesday, with levels expected to reach up to 1m above the highest astronomical tides тАУ not including waves.
Six-hourly rainfall totals between 100 to 140 mm are possible, the BOM warns.
Locally heavier falls up to 180mm are also possible over coastal communities about the Gulf coast and may also develop about the east coast north of Port Douglas.
Damaging wind gusts, with peak gusts of around 110 km/h, are forecast north of about Kowanyama, extending eastwards across the northern Peninsula during the day.
Locally destructive wind gusts, with peak gusts in excess of 125km/h are also possible with thunderstorms north of about Cairns.
Locations which may be affected include Georgetown, Lockhart River, Weipa, Thursday Island, Croydon, Kowanyama, Coen, Aurukun, Hope Vale, Julatten and Napranum.
The Regional Harbour Master has enacted an Extreme Weather Event – Prevention Phase 1 for multiple Cape York ports.
The ports of Weipa, Karumba, Kennedy (Thursday Island) and Skardon River have been warned a weather event is likely to affect the area within 48 hours.
тАЬVessel operators and owners should review their safety plans and address any outstanding matters.тАЭ
Abnormally tide tides are expected in coastal communities along the western Cape.
Water levels on the high tide on Wednesday may exceed the highest tide of the year by up to 1m due to the strong to gale force monsoon flow in the region.
Cairns Regional Council has also closed Greenpatch campground at Gordonvale in anticipation of the heavy rain.
The campground, on the Mulgrave River floodplain, is prone to flash flooding and is expected to be closed for the remainder of the wet season.
тАЬWhile Greenpatch will be closed to camping, the reserve remains open for passive recreational use, such as picnics, cycling and scooter riding and exercise,тАЭ a council spokesman said.
тАЬToilet facilities will be open for day use, although the showers will be closed in line with the closure of the area for camping.тАЭ
MONDAY: The Bureau of Meteorology has issued an initial flood watch for parts of the Far North ahead of the potential of тАЬvery heavy rainfallтАЭ in the region this week.
A developing tropical low associated with a monsoon trough over northern Australia is forecast to move into the Gulf of Carpentaria late Tuesday, then move east across northern Queensland from late Wednesday into Thursday, the BOM says.
тАЬHeavy rainfall is forecast to develop and increase over the next few days, initially over the Cape York Peninsula and lower Gulf catchments, before extending eastwards to affect the North Tropical Coast on Wednesday and Thursday,тАЭ the Bureau said.
тАЬVery heavy rainfall is likely locally, with potentially intense rainfall in isolated locations.тАЭ
The current forecast for Cairns on Wednesday warns of rain, including possible heavy falls, of up to 120mm.
In its statement, the BOM said the majority of catchments across the Flood Watch area were relatively dry, which would limit their initial response to rainfall.
However, with prolonged rainfall, river level rises above the minor flood level are likely from late Wednesday into Thursday, with some areas of moderate flooding possible, most likely on the North Tropical Coast.
Localised flooding and disruption to transport routes are likely across parts of the Flood Watch area.
Catchments likely to be affected include:
Settlement Creek
Nicholson River
Leichhardt River
Upper Flinders River
Lower Flinders River
Cloncurry River
Norman River
Gilbert River
Jardine River
Ducie, Jackson and Skardon Rivers
Wenlock River
Embley and Mission Rivers
Watson River
Archer and Coen Rivers
Holroyd and Kendall Rivers
Coleman and Edward Rivers
Mitchell River
Staaten River
Jacky Jacky Creek
Olive and Pascoe Rivers
Lockhart River
Stewart River
Normanby River
Jeannie River
Endeavour River
Daintree River
Mossman River
Barron River
Mulgrave and Russell Rivers
Johnstone River
Tully River
Murray River
Herbert River
Originally published as BOM issues severe weather warning for Far North Qld in addition to flood watch
