RAIN AND STORMS IN SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND AND NE NSW - OCTOBER 10, 2000

With a prolonged dry period throughout SE QLD, rain was desperately needed.  Showers and thunderstorms were tipped initially, but as the day approached it became obvious that rain was also a possibility.  Mid level cloud began approaching Brisbane from the SW during the late afternoon, and by evening rain areas were developing and intensifying on radar on the southern Darling Downs and Granite Belt, NE NSW and far southern areas of the SE coast district. 

During the evening a storm developed on the ranges west of the Gold Coast and Steve Baynham managed to get this lightning shot.Sam McDonald also received 28mm of rain from this storm. 

Soon after, a promising line of showers/rain developed further west between Toowoomba and Warwick.  This line began to intensify on the northern end, and a solid band of heavy showers and storms developed and moved through Brisbane.  Although it did weaken on approach, heavy rain and lightning was still experienced in some suburbs, including a report from Anthony Cornelius of torrential rain (80-100mm/h rain rate) just south of the Mt Lindsay Hwy & Compton Rd Intersection, making driving almost impossible.

A large band of rain developed and gradually crept north overnight.  At the time this report  was written (Wednesday morning) rainbands were evident on radar in the Wide Bay and Burnett and northern parts of the SE coast distict.

A summary of the events at Warwick is provided below courtesy of Adam Cole.
 

After much hot weather in Warwick, and yesterdays disappointing forecasts, today started off surprising cool after yesterdays scorcher. However, by mid morning the SW was looking very hazy and the signs of weather to come was visible. Although the day was slightly cooler, the humidity was right up there, still making it an uncomfortable day.

By 1200 high level cloud was pumping from the west and considerably thickened throughout the afternoon. Mid afternoon found mid level cloud to be forming and significant darkening of the sky was observed. However by 4pm, the atmosphere seemed to stabalise making the likelihood of significant storm formation to occur at about 50 - 50. As the evening progressed, the sky began showing signs of activity and at 645pm, the rain started, slowly at first but then moving to a steady stream right through out the night. At 1100pm rainfall in Warwick was up to 5.1 mm, and there seemed to be much more activity in the system at this stage, especially to the west. Lightning was being recorded in the west but nothing near Warwick. A rather good day with much needed rainfall

Official BOM rain totals were light to moderate throughout SE QLD, with some of the higher totals being Hinze Dam 25mm, Cape Moreton 21mm and Coolangatta with 15mm - all in the SE coast district.

Totals in the Northern Rivers district of NE NSW were also light to moderate, with the highest totals being 19mm at Cape Byron, 18mm at Nimbin and 17mm at Murwillumbah.

A band of active storms also formed over the southern interior of QLD during the evening, and peristed through the night while moving slowly NE.  Rainfall totals on this area ranged between 2mm (Dirranbandi) and 18mm (Augathella).