16 people rescued as cold front targets four states

Queensland emergency services conducted 16 swift-water rescues as severe thunderstorms and heavy rain swept through the state this week. The Queensland fire department managed the operations, which included a dramatic extraction in Caboolture. In that incident, crews used a raft to reach an elderly man clinging to the roof of his vehicle.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) now warns of severe storms, heavy rain, and flash flooding across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. The agency has nine flood warnings active for southern Queensland. Senior meteorologist David Crock stated that the weather pattern has been persistent, drawing in large amounts of moisture and building totals over seven to 10 days across Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Rainfall in the Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture reached seven-day totals between 300mm and 400mm, with some areas hitting 450mm. These figures represent more than double the average October rainfall for those locations. Crock noted that the conditions resemble typical summer weather from January or February rather than the current season.

Thursday marked the peak of the extreme rainfall event. Torrential rain stretched from Caboolture south to the Border Ranges, with some places receiving well over 200mm. The downpour triggered flash flooding and hundreds of calls for help to the State Emergency Service. Several schools closed on Friday due to the weather.

A cold front is expected to cross New South Wales on Sunday. This system will bring severe thunderstorms to the west of the state, north-eastern Victoria, Sydney, and Brisbane. Crock said the threat extends right across eastern Australia, with severe storms likely throughout a wide part of inland eastern Australia.

Specific areas face high risk on Saturday in central and eastern Queensland, including Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, and Roma. Parts of Victoria, including Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and central and eastern South Australia may also be affected. In Tasmania, heavy rain is expected to develop overnight into Sunday morning.

The BoM forecast indicates that severe thunderstorms and heavy rain will continue at several locations in central and eastern Queensland on Saturday. Crock described the situation as having plenty of rain across the south-east, along with showers and storms across much of Queensland, following what has been a very wet week.