Severe Weather Warning for Destructive Winds and Heavy Rainfall

 

IDQ20033 Bureau of Meteorology Queensland Regional Office

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING for DESTRUCTIVE WINDS and HEAVY RAINFALL For people in the Wide Bay and Burnett, Southeast Coast and parts of the Darling Downs and Granite Belt Forecast Districts. Issued at 5:02 pm Thursday, 30 March 2017. Headline:

Heavy rainfall is currently affecting areas southeast of Gympie to Inglewood. Damaging wind gusts are currently affecting parts of the warning area. Destructive wind gusts are also possible about the coastal fringe and elevated terrain in the Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast districts this evening and tomorrow morning.

Synoptic Situation:

At 4pm EST the centre of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie was just to the east of Miles. The system is expected to continue moving southeastwards over southeast Queensland during this evening before moving off the southeast coast of Queensland in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Impacts:

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie will continue to generate areas of heavy rain over areas southeast of Gympie to Inglewood. These areas of heavy rain are expected to contract to the east and ease overnight.

Over the following 8 to 12 hours, rainfall totals of 50 to 150 mm are expected, with totals in excess of 150 mm possible over the higher ground. This rainfall may be intense at times, leading to a risk of localised flash flooding. Locations that may be affected include Brisbane, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

This rainfall is likely to lead to major river flooding over a broad area and a Flood Watch is current for coastal catchments between Hervey Bay and the New South Wales border, extending inland to parts of the Maranoa and Warrego, and Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts.

Damaging wind gusts, with peak gusts of around 90 km/h, are occurring in the warning area, particularly about the coast and islands south of Fraser Island. Destructive wind gusts, in excess of 125 km/h, are possible about the coastal fringe and islands, and elevated terrain of the Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast districts through the remainder of today and tomorrow morning.

A separate Severe Weather Warning is current for dangerous surf conditions and abnormally high tides about parts of the south coast south of Sandy Cape.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advises that people should: * Move your car under cover or away from trees. * Secure loose outdoor items. * Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees. * Beware of fallen trees and powerlines. * Never drive, walk or ride through flood waters. If it's flooded, forget it. * Keep clear of creeks and storm drains. * For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500. The next Severe Weather Warning will be issued by 11:00 pm AEST Thursday.

Warnings are also available through TV and Radio broadcasts, the Bureau's website at www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 219. The Bureau and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services would appreciate warnings being broadcast regularly.

Alert details at https://ewa.brisbane.qld.gov.au/alert_details/296?lang=en

Log In | Alerts Map | Register