Rainfall update

Tropical lows brought heavy rainfall across northern Australia

• A trough with embedded tropical lows and tropical moisture produced widespread thunderstorms, some severe, and heavy rainfall across northern parts of the Northern Territory and northern and eastern Queensland throughout the week.
• Easterly onshore flow triggered severe thunderstorms and heavy falls across Queensland’s north tropical coast over the weekend.
• Weekly rainfall totals of 50 to 200 mm, with locally higher falls, were recorded across much of northern Australia and parts of south-eastern Queensland.
• Troughs over Western Australia generated thunderstorms and rainfall across large areas of the state’s south. Another trough drawing tropical moisture, delivered widespread rainfall across the far eastern regions of Western Australia, southern parts of the Northern Territory and into northern and western South Australia late in the week.
• Weekly rainfall totals of 25 to 100 mm were recorded across southern parts of the Northern Territory, southern and far eastern regions of Western Australia, and parts of western South Australia.
• A cold front moved through south-eastern Australia mid-week, bringing strong winds, a drop in temperatures and areas of moderate to heavy rainfall.
• Weekly rainfall totals of 25 to 100 mm, with locally higher falls, were recorded across western Tasmania and the north-eastern coast of New South Wales.
• There is ongoing minor to major flooding across much of Queensland and the Top End of the Northern Territory. 
• The highest weekly total (at a Bureau gauge) was 463.0 mm at Whyanbeel Valley in Queensland.  
• The highest daily total (at a Bureau gauge) was 258.6 mm at Cairns Racecourse in Queensland in the 24 hours to 9 am on 15 March.