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 QLD: Flooding continues on the north and central coasts. Monsoonal activity continued to bring heavy rainfall to QLD's central, northern and gulf coasts today, though totals were generally less than yesterday. However, the development of a weak trough over the Northern Goldfields overnight saw Charters Towers break the one-day rainfall record it set yesterday, with 142.2mm in the gauge at 9am this morning, giving a 48-hour total of 274.2mm. Flooding in the Burdekin River closed the Flinders Highway between the city and Townsville. Heavy rain around Townsville finally eased off after 3 this morning after a 55mm downpour in 3 hours. The city's airport recorded 116.4mm to 9am, bringing its 4-day total to 477.0mm. Major flooding began to ease on the Haughton River, but Giru, 40km SE of Townsville and near the river's mouth, remained isolated by floodwaters and the main Bruce Highway cut. The highway north from Townsville to Cairns was reopened.
On the Central Coast, Mackay Airport recorded the highest 24-hour total of 136.4 to 9am, somewhat less than yesterday's total of 234.6mm. Flooding in the Pioneer Valley eased as rain diminished during today, but road and rail links to the north of the city remained closed. A woman had to be rescued from a car swept down a creek between Mackay and Nebo to the southwest.
In the Gulf of Carpentaria, a 998hPa low moved very slowly into the SW corner of the Gulf, threatening to become a tropical cyclone and dumping heavy rain on the southern coast. Mornington Island recorded 181mm in the 24 hours to 9am, 87.8 of which fell between 9 and 11pm last night.
WA: Heatwave sets all-time records in the south. The heatwave that has beset southern WA reached new heights today, toppling all-time records at a dozen centres in the Central Wheat Belt and Great Southern districts. Cunderdin, Northam, Brookton, Corrigin, Lake Grace, Narembeen and Narrogin experienced their hottest day in over 40 years with Northam knocking a remarkable 2.3C off its previous all-time record. Top temperatures reached the mid to high 40s across an unusually large area of the state, with Hyden, Northam and Cunderdin topping 48C. See records and hottest for details. Maximum temperatures have been 10C or more above normal somewhere in southern WA every day for the past 10 days.
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