Agribusiness

North awash while more rain forecast for south

Beef Central, 20/03/2012

The Weather Channel's senior meteorologist Tom Saunders outlines the national rainfall forecast for the next two days.

After more than half a metre of rain over the past week more is ahead for northern parts of Queensland as a tropical low drifts southeast towards the central coast by Friday.

Rain is also forecast for southern eastern Australia from today as the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Lua, currently bringing rain to southern WA,  are captured by a trough of low pressure moving east across the Great Australian Bight.

This system is expected to generate rain and thunderstorms, together with a drop in temperatures, across South Australia today, and then Victoria, Tasmania and southern NSW tomorrow.

Very warm temperatures ahead of this change have triggered a fire weather warning for severe fire dangers across extensive areas of SA today.

In the north, a tropical low located over the southeast corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria will generate strong winds, high tides and heavy rain across the surrounding area during the next two to three days.

The Weather Channel’s chief meteorologist Dick Whitaker expected the system to generate totals of 300mm plus for Queensland coastal areas between Rockhampton and Cairns.

More than 300mm has been recorded in Townsville in the past 24 hours where a mini-tornado tore through the city caused widespread damage including collapsed buildings and damaged rooves according to media reports.

As the low moves southeast, inland rain is also expected to cover much of Queensland during the week.

A major frontal system and associated cold outbreak is then expected to track across southeast Australia on Friday, producing rain and thunderstorms for Tasmania, Victoria and southern NSW, as well as highland snow for Tasmania and Victoria. Hobart’s top temperature on Friday is only expected to be 15C, and Melbourne’s 17C.

Major flooding continues to roll down the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Rivers as well as the Culgoa, Birrie, and Bokhara Rivers, and on the Barwon and Darling Rivers downstream from Bourke.

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