AN UNSEASONAL band of heavy rain is set to smash the east coast, with areas of NSW between Newcastle in the north and Wollongong in the south currently forecast to bear the brunt of the heaviest falls.
Current Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) models are showing the possibility for between 200-300mm in areas around Sydney and Wollongong, raising fears of flooding in the already saturated Hawkesbury and Nepean River catchments.
Advertisement
However, the BOM said on Friday there was still a degree of uncertainty in the forecasts as to where the largest rain totals will be recorded.
Further to the north, Brisbane is predicted to receive up to 100mm, well in excess of the average for the entire month of July of 24mm, while the Queensland central coast could see up to 150mm.
The system is already delivering significant totals, with unseasonable rain in Northern Territory during the dry season and totals in excess of 100mm recorded on Thursday in areas south of Cairns in north Queensland.
Falls in broadacre agricultural regions are not expected to be as significant although the Darling Downs and Central West NSW are both set to see potentially moderate falls, which could have implications for unharvested summer crop.
The rain is being caused by a coastal trough that is developing along the east coast and then deepening as it pushes south over NSW, with BOM reporting there is also the possibility of an east coast low developing and prolonging the rain event well into next week, which could also push heavy rain in southern NSW and far East Gippsland in Victoria.
Gregor Heard
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
