Hourly radar images from 4pm EST (06:00 UTC) to midnight (14:00 UTC) show the shower cluster that developed on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane late afternoon, then drifted south and developed explosively to bring progressively heavier rain from Brisbane's southern outskirts to the Tweed Valley over the border in NSW. BoM

NSW, QLD: Flooding rains on QLD Gold Coast and NSW North Coast

A major rain-producing trough, which can be seen on the surface chart above extending through SE QLD into central NSW, brought widespread heavy rain across SE QLD, the NSW North Coast and also inland NSW in the 24 hours to 9am. After easing during the middle of the day in most areas, torrential rain resumed on the NSW North Coast during the afternoon while the main rainband extended southwards into NSW. Extensive local and main river flooding began in coastal streams from the Gold Coast south to the Bellinger River (see Daily Weather Summary for 30 JUN for a summary of flooding.)

Rainfall for the 24 hours to 9am for SE QLD (above), NE NSW (below) and NW NSW (bottom). BoM

On the QLD Gold Coast, a constant stream of showers moving in from the NNE gave the highest 24-hour to 9am totals of 100 to 150mm to the Nerang catchment in the Gold Coast Hinterland. The showers became more frequent and heavier after about 3am. The highest 24-hour to 9am recordings were 143mm at Tallebudgera Creek Dam, 93 of which fell between 3 and 9am, and 136 at Springbrook Lower, 103 of which fell midnight to 9am. (For a detailed list of 24-hour totals, see Wettest below. See Downpours for details of heavy short-duration falls at Bureau AWSs.)

Moderate showers continued through the day, but soon after 3pm a small area of showers on the Sunshine Coast began to intensify and broaden as it moved south, crossing the Brisbane/Ipswich area around 6pm. Some scattered heavy falls were recorded -- Beerwah had 49mm between 3 and 6pm while Three Ways and Drapers Crossing, about 30km NW of Brisbane, recorded 51 and 43mm between 6 and 9pm -- before the system amplified explosively as it moved into the northern slopes of the McPherson Range and the Gold Coast during the evening. This event is covered in more detail in tomorrow's Daily Weather Summary, however among the highest 6pm to midnight rainfall recordings from the flood gauge network were:

Flash flooding from the downpours kept SES busy with sandbagging and roof protection, with around 50 calls fielded on the Gold Coast and a dozen in Brisbane. Wind, generated by a tightening gradient between the trough as it moved offshore late evening and a strong high pressure system in the southern Tasman, also caused some damage. Large boulders which rolled onto the main New England Highway at Cunningham Gap about 1pm closed the road, stopping semi-trailers for 3 hours and causing other traffic to be redirected.

NSW North Coast: Rainfall for the 24 hours to 9am in far NE NSW exceeded the falls over the border, causing rapid river rises in the Tweed, Brunswick and Wilsons Rivers. The highest official total was 190.0mm at Fairview Farm near Mullumbimby, but flood network gauge reports included Huonbrook 218mm, Goonengerry 187 and Repentance 174 -- all west of Mullumbimby and close to the watershed of the Tweed and Wilsons Rivers. In the small Brunswick River catchment, all flood gauges reported over 120mm with the top falls Mullumbimby Creek 164mm, Upper Main Arm 159, Myocum 156 and Chincogan 155. As in SE QLD, heavy rain after midnight accounted for much of the totals, but the Brunswick River basin also experienced heavy falls yesterday afternoon and early evening.

Between 9am and midnight today, heavy rain fell nearly continuously over the Tweed, Brunswick, Wilsons and part of the Richmond catchments with most flood network gauges reporting 100 to 150mm. Among the heavier 15-hour falls were:

The SES reported flash flooding in Murwillumbah, the Tweed Valley, Ballina, Lennox Head, Lismore and the Brunswick Valley with over 100 volunteers attending to rescues, sandbagging and tarping of leaking roofs and buildings. The Brunswick River rose rapidly to a peak of 4.71m at Sherry's Bridge at 7.30pm and 3.54m at Mullumbimby at 11pm with moderate flooding, then fell rapidly, reflecting an easing of rain from about 7pm. The tributary Marshall's Creek at Billinudgel peaked at 3.23 metres at 10.20pm with moderate flooding. The Wilsons River at Lismore exceeded minor flood level during the evening.

Inland northern NSW: A constant northerly stream of showers and rain areas with isolated thunderstorms brought moderate to heavy rain across the QLD Darling Downs and much of inland northern NSW, though the Northern Tablelands received very little rain. Scattered showers through Monday and Tuesday were replaced by widespread rain on Tuesday afternoon and throughout today, the rain petering out early on Thursday morning. The rainfall map for the week ended 9am Thursday shows most of the area receiving from 50 to over 100mm. The heaviest weekly totals were Bellata 139.2, Pilliga 135.5, Gwabegar 132.0 and Burren Junction 130.3mm. Flood alerts were issued for the Lower Macintyre, Gwydir, Namoi and Castlereagh Valleys, but, apart from the Moonie River in QLD which exceeded minor flood levels this morning, no systems reported other than low level flooding.

TAS: Fog causes airline disruption

Thick fog cause flights to be delayed or cancelled at a number of airports in northern TAS this morning, with ripple effects causing flights to be rescheduled for much of the state for the rest of the day. A spokesman for Jetstar, Simon Westaway, told ABC Radio the conditions were the worst he could remember since the airline began operations