Update: 5pm Saturday
The overnight rain influence continued its trajectory northwards throughout Saturday, with people such as Jill Dyer reporting 78mm at Stainburn, 20km north west of Aramac between 10am and 2pm, and Donna Paynter having a similar amount in an hour-and-a-half at Wando, south of Winton.
Nina House was delighted to report a whopping 148mm at Fortuna, north east of Aramac, since Friday evening.
The Capricorn Highway between Emerald and Alpha was opened on Saturday afternoon but authorities were expecting to close it again before the end of the day.
10am: Roads have been closed in the Alpha region following overnight rain that dumped between 100mm and 180mm on properties in the region.
After days of oppressive conditions, a lightning show that commentators said rivalled any Sydney Harbour New Year’s Eve display lit up the night sky, giving way to rain in eastern parts of central Queensland that moved west and north during the night.
Irene Clews at Myagah, just east of Alpha, was one of those who woke up in the morning to a full rain gauge, recording 140mm by 8am.
“We’ve had shocking humidity – it was very close last night,” she said. “There was quite a lightning display, then rain in the early hours.”
It follows 18mm on Christmas Eve and 37.5mm at the start of the new year, but Irene said the early storms had been very patchy and not growing as much grass as hoped.
“Hopefully this will fill in some gaps and get it started,” she said.
With 151mm falling in Alpha itself, the rain caused the cancellation of the annual Alpha ICPA cricket fund-raising day, and organisers are unsure at this stage about rescheduling, given that creeks could be up for some time.
People as far south as the Tambo district received good rain but the overnight band stayed east of the Landsborough Highway between Blackall and Barcaldine.
Even within the storm, rain was patchy. Alex and Kristy Sparrow at Malden, north of Alpha, only measured 19mm.
The Barcaldine Regional Council issued a road closure notice on Saturday morning, advising that the Alpha-Tambo, Alpha-Clermont, and Alpha-Emerald (Capricorn Highway) roads were closed to all traffic.
Totals recorded on Who Got the Rain Facebook page:
- Sue Ouston: 91 mm last night, Blackmyre, Duaringa.
- Allison McLaughlin: Very lucky to get 81mm at Myimbarr, Dingo last night.
- Jackie Privett: 180mm overnight 17km west of Anakie.
- Nina Hensley: 71mm of beautiful rain at 'Peakvale', NW of the Gemfields. Theresa Creek on the rise, though surprisingly little run-off from amount of rain.
- Colin Hoy: 100mm Green Valley, Bogantungan, 100km west of Emerald.
- Angela and Andy Mulcahy: 144mm at Drummondslope, halfway between Alpha and Tambo.
- Toni O'Neill: 145mm at Glenyarran, Lochington and still raining lightly.
- Vonda Kimber: 100mm, Hobartville, nth west Alpha, still raining.
- Britt Ramage: 115 mm at Sedgeford south of Alpha.
- Nette Gillies: Alpha update as of 9am – measured 151mm and at home at Devenish, 105km east of Blackall, 75mm.
- Hayley Renee Howe: 65mm at Charlton north west of Clermont.
- Nicole Taylor: 100mm in a lighting and thunder display at Nelore, Capella last night.
- Lindy Kehl: Who got the rain? We did! Another 70 beautiful millimetres of it!!! Norwood Park, just out of Springsure. Very wet after the 150 mm on 2nd January.
- Dean Arnaboldi: 93mm, Allanard, south of Jericho.
- Dave Elmes: 72mm Oxford Downs, 100km south of Tambo.
- Josephine Mary Smith: 88.5 mm at Shady Downs 60km NE of Tambo. Still showering. Yippee!
- Belinda Schutt: 100mm since 5:30 this morning, still raining! Tralee, 75km E Blackall
- Diane Hauff: 112 mm, The Springs, Blackall.
- Anne Sprague: Fantastic Sat morning – 62 mm Neverfail, 100 km NE Blackall. Still raining lightly. Can see the buffel growing. Time to pop the champagne.
- Sarah Steer: Nice little gullyraker, 55mm in little over half an hour and still showering at Parklane, Blackall.
- Daniel McInnerney: 70mm at Crystalbrook, 150km north of Mitchell.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
