Blackall. Barcaldine. Townsville. Longreach. Airlie Beach. Giru. Charlesville. Bradleys Gully. Murweh Shire. Charters Towers.
These are all names of towns in Queensland. Where are they, exactly?
With only a couple of exceptions we don’t know, but we’re hearing and reading about them now because we’re also hearing and reading about rivers that we’ve never seen: the Warrego, Don, Proserpine, Haughton, Fitzroy and Burdekin.
They’re out of banks, causing floods in all those towns because genuine, significant rain has come!
A “monsoonal low” left the ocean, moved across the state to our north, headed west and south and, contrary to expectations, intensified over land.
As a result, heavy rains fell in the catchment areas north and west of Brisbane. Queensland’s second-largest reservoir, Fairbairn Dam, is overflowing and its gates were opened Friday for the first time in 17 years. According to the “Brisbane Courier-Mail,” a thousand people showed up to see that.
Bureau of Meteorology severe weather expert Jeff Callaghan told “The Australian” that this week’s weather here was common from the mid-1950s through to the mid-1970s. He hopes this is the start of a pattern not seen since 1977.
It’s an unusual monsoonal low, of course, that brings no one harm. Lots of photos of flooded streets, homes, and stores are in the news here and disaster relief funds, promised by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, will be badly needed.
But, still, it has finally rained. — Bob
{ 0 comments… add one now }