Update – Wednesday 29th March 2017
Tropical Cyclone Debbie was downgraded to a tropical low over night. After making landfall yesterday, initial reports indicate widespread damage. Tropical Cyclone Debbie was a very serious storm, with wind gusts over 260kph reported.
There is a risk with ex tropical cyclone Debbie, as it tracks inland and south it will continue to deliver heavy rain over the coming day with the flood rick for inland central Queensland high.
Below is from one of the BoM updates issued Wednesday (29th) morning.
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for DAMAGING WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL and ABNORMALLY HIGH TIDES
For people in the Central Coast and Whitsundays, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Capricornia and parts of the Central West and Maranoa and Warrego Forecast Districts.
Issued at 4:59 am Wednesday, 29 March 2017.
Headline:
Heavy rain and damaging wind gusts are currently affecting the Central Coast and Whitsundays and Central Highlands and Coalfields districts.
Synoptic Situation:
At 5am EST Ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie was located over inland central Queensland about 100 kilometres southwest of Collinsville and 125 kilometres northwest of Moranbah. The system is expected to continue moving southwards over the central interior of the state today before tracking southeastwards during Thursday.
Impacts:
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie will continue to generate areas of very heavy rain over the Central Coast and Whitsundays and Central Highlands and Coalfields districts today. Currently the heaviest rainfall is occurring over areas north of about Springsure to Yeppoon though the heavy rain bands will slip further south through the remaining central interior with the system today. Widespread daily rainfall totals of 150 to 250 mm are expected, with significantly higher totals possible locally. This rainfall will likely be very intense at times, leading to a risk of localised flash flooding. Locations that may be affected include Mackay, Sarina, Carmila, Yeppoon, Moranbah, Clermont, Emerald, Springsure and Rolleston.
The focus for heavy rain will then shift south and extend into the southeastern quarter of the state during Thursday, with further daily rainfall totals in excess of 200mm possible.
This rainfall is likely to lead to major river flooding over a broad area this week, and a Flood Watch is current for coastal catchments between Ayr and the New South Wales border, extending inland to parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, Maranoa and Warrego, and Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts.
Damaging winds, with peak gusts of around 120km/h, are occurring in the warning area, particularly about the coast and islands and also over higher ground inland. Currently the strongest wind gusts are affecting areas north of about Emerald to St Lawrence though the possibility of damaging wind gusts should shift to the remaining warning area as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie tracks south southeastwards tonight. Into Thursday the focus for damaging wind gusts will likely shift to the Capricornia coast and then possibly to the remaining coast near and south of Fraser Island during Thursday afternoon and evening.
Water levels on the high tide could exceed the highest tide of the year over the warning area north of St Lawrence today, leading to some local inundation.
Track Cyclone Debbie HERE
