A 58-year-old record might be broken with flood waters expected to rise in northern Australia after another day of heavy rainfall.
A widespread deluge that has cut power, damaged roads and destroyed a bridge in north Queensland is forecast to continue on Tuesday, sounding alarm bells.
A three-day downpour to date has caused major flooding across the region, with Ingham’s Herbert River one of the worst hit.
Locals fear the river will reach record levels with the 1967 mark of 15.2m at risk of being eclipsed with more rain forecast.
The Herbert River on Monday was only centimetres shy of the 1967 record that devastated the region and there is no relief in sight.
Major flooding has also affected the Ross and Haughton rivers near Townsville as well as Charters Towers’ Upper Burdekin.
“We’re likely to continue to see these rivers rise or stay at the major flood level through to Tuesday,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore said.
“With forecast rainfall, that means we could see renewed rises … and that’s why we are concerned.”
Rain and thunderstorms have been forecast across much of north Queensland through to Tuesday night, particularly flood-affected areas between Innisfail and Ayr.
Record flooding would be another blow to the Ingham community.
It is already reeling after a 63-year-old woman died when an SES boat helping people through flood waters struck a tree and flipped on Sunday.
It has received another blow, with a major Bruce Highway link – the Ollera Creek Bridge near Ingham – collapsing into the water on Sunday.
Local mayor Ramon Jayo described it as “another disaster” for Ingham, which was without power after its substation was flooded, only had five days of fresh water left and must rely on supply drops by helicopter.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated and many rescued across the region, with more than a metre of rain recorded near Townsville.
A severe weather warning was current on Monday from Tully down the coast to Ayr as “major and dangerous flooding” continued.
Up to 200mm of rain is possible in the coming days across large parts of the north, with isolated falls of up to 300mm between Ingham and Ayr.
