Storms hit eastern states after Queensland floods

Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are forecast to sweep across most Australian states this weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. These conditions will add more water to a Queensland that has already endured a wet week.

The cold front is expected to cross New South Wales on Sunday. It will bring severe thunderstorms to the west of the state, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Senior meteorologist David Crock said the threat of storms extends across eastern Australia. He noted that severe storms are likely through a wide part of inland eastern Australia.

Before the front arrives, several locations in central and eastern Queensland face severe storms on Saturday. These areas include Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma. Crock said, "There's plenty of rain across the south-east, as well as plenty of showers and storms and rain across much of Queensland as well, after what's already been a really wet week."

The current forecast follows a week of extreme rainfall in Queensland. Several areas received more than double their average October rainfall over just a few days. Crock described the conditions as typical of summer months like January or February rather than this time of year. The weather pattern persisted for seven to 10 days across Queensland and northern New South Wales, drawing in large amounts of moisture.

The heaviest falls occurred on Thursday when torrential rain stretched from Caboolture south to the Border Ranges. Some places received well over 200mm of rain. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded seven-day rainfall totals between 300mm and 400mm. Some areas reached 450mm. The downpour caused flash flooding, water rescues, and hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools were forced to close on Friday.

The Queensland fire department carried out more than 16 swift-water rescues. In one incident, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man who was clinging to the roof of his vehicle at Caboolture.