Weather: Heavy rain set to drench Australia's east coast, flood warnings issued

A severe weather event which will bring with it a month's worth of rain in just a matter of days is set to lash Australia's east coast.

Rainfall is set to begin from late Wednesday
 and continue through to Saturday.

The wet weather will stretch from Queensland to Tasmania, bringing unusual May falls to inland parts of New South Wales and Queensland.

Parts of Queensland affected by Cyclone Debbie just over a month ago are set to be hit hardest with up to 200 millimetres of rainfall expected in the north over the next three days.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued an initial flood watch for Queensland coastal catchments from Cairns to Gladstone, including Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton, extending inland to include parts of the Burdekin and Fitzroy catchments.

Read the ABC News story - “Weather: Heavy rain set to drench Australia's east coast, flood warnings issued.”

Only freak weather event can avoid record breaking hot October

B

arring a freak weather event, this month will set a new record for the average daily maximum temperature in October across Australia.

Tom Arup.

For the record not to be broken it would take something insanely unlikely – a large volcano erupting somewhere on Australia's east coast, for example – pushing temperatures on Saturday below zero.

Of course, there is always chaos and variability involved in weather. And the current El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean is a factor.

Read Tom Arup’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “October to be the hottest on record – and global warming is likely to blame”.