Rain light-on except for ranges

9th February 2010

Washed out: Traffic was diverted at Cunningham’s Gap after a mudslide closed two lanes of traffic Sunday morning. Photo by CHERYL LE PETIT

DESPITE widespread flooding across much of south-east Queensland at the weekend Warwick’s rain gauges remained depressingly low.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s (BOM) official report for the city up until 9am yesterday was just 6mm.

BOM senior forecaster Geoff Doueal admitted the outlook for the next week was not much better with just scattered showers predicted as heavy cloud moves west.

“The Southern Downs didn’t receive much rain in the last change and the forecast for the next few days doesn’t include any significant falls,” Mr Doueal said.

“The week should be reasonably fine although the north-easterly winds may bring some light afternoon showers.

“But we are not expecting anything major.”

Yet Mr Doueal said farmers and gardeners desperate for moisture may find some reprieve in a high pressure change early next week.

“A lot can happen between now and then, but at the moment the best chance of reasonable falls could be next Monday or Tuesday,” he said.

Meanwhile rain may have been light-on across the Southern Downs, but along the ranges there were reports of heavier falls.

“At Glengallan just west of the Cunningham Ranges just 4mm was recorded over the weekend,” he said.

“But along the ranges we had reports of between 70mm and 54mm.

“So there were consistently heavy falls along the Cunningham range area throughout the two days.”