Intensifying storm looms for flood-soaked communities
Robyn Wuth and Melissa Meehan |
Northern Australia is staring down the barrel of a possible tropical cyclone that looks set to wreak havoc by twice making landfall across a flood-ravaged region.
The volatile storm in the Coral Sea is intensifying as it inches toward Queensland’s far north just as the area recovers from major flooding.
The system, currently a tropical low, is expected to cross north of Cooktown in the coming days then possibly re-form over the Gulf of Carpentaria and make landfall again in the Northern Territory.
“We certainly are seeing an increased chance that this will both strengthen as a weather system and also move on to the far north of Queensland,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Angus Hines told AAP.
“This system could affect multiple states over multiple days, but starting with Queensland late this week.”
It is set to bring more wild weather, including in the Top End where troops have arrived to assist recovery efforts in regions already hit by widespread flooding.
The latest storm in what Mr Hines called a “fruitful wet season” could smash multiple rainfall records.
“Broadly speaking, it has been a very wet, wet season across northern interior parts of the country, and a lot of places probably will come out as having the top 10 wettest seasons on record,” he said.
Queensland’s far north has already copped a deluge, with Mossman Gorge and Daintree Forest inundated for a third consecutive weekend.
Rescues occurred at Mossman – where more than 400mm was recorded in 48 hours – and Redlynch on Sunday morning after flash flooding.
The disaster has claimed the lives of two backpackers from China who drove off a bridge north of Brisbane into floodwaters.
Major flood warnings are in place for the Thomson River at Longreach, Upper Balonne River at Surat and Cooper Creek at Windorah.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the Thomson River was rising incredibly slowly at the outback town of Longreach, frustrating residents.
Almost 60 local government areas are receiving assistance due to the relentless wet weather that has hit the state since Christmas.
The NT is also reeling, prompting a request for Australian Defence Force assistance from Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro.
Emergency services from Victoria have also arrived to offer assistance.
Troops on Monday answered the SOS after the worst flooding in Katherine in almost 30 years.
About a dozen prisoners, accompanied by corrections officers, will also help with the clean up.
The local hospital is back online, a boil water directive lifted, the majority of power returned and state schools have reopened.
But it will take time for the community to bounce back after some lost everything.
“We have done it before and we will do it again, that’s the kind of community we are,” Katherine mayor Joanna Holden told AAP.
Further northwest, flooding at the Daly River community reached roof height after water levels peaked at 16.42m – eclipsing a 1998 record.
“There is not a building in Daly River that is not under water,” Ms Finocchiaro told reporters over the weekend.
More than 600 people remain in shelters throughout the territory while the government has issued more than $1.5 million in flood assistance payments.
The number of homes and businesses affected across the flood regions is still being tallied, but the Insurance Council of Australia has declared it a significant event.
AAP