Just what we need – more rain on way as cyclone gives way to monsoon rains in NQ

More rain is set to hit far north Queensland with a monsoon trough expected to develop in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Jan 11, 2024, updated May 22, 2025
Residents are cut off after a large section of road has washed away at the end of Holloways Beach Esplanade in the suburb of Holloways Beach in Cairns, Monday, December 18, 2023. Residents in far north Queensland are bracing for more rain and further significant flooding. (AAP Image/Joshua Prieto) NO ARCHIVING
Residents are cut off after a large section of road has washed away at the end of Holloways Beach Esplanade in the suburb of Holloways Beach in Cairns, Monday, December 18, 2023. Residents in far north Queensland are bracing for more rain and further significant flooding. (AAP Image/Joshua Prieto) NO ARCHIVING

The region is still recovering from the impacts of ex-tropical cyclone Jasper, which brought record flooding.

The trough is expected to develop from Thursday, later turning into a tropical low, with heavy downpours expected.”Along the coastal parts of the Gulf, daily falls of 100mm to 200mm wouldn’t be out of the question,” a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said.

The bureau said there was a low chance of a tropical cyclone forming from Sunday, depending on the movement of another system west of Darwin.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Premier Steven Miles on Wednesday announced a $24 million recovery package for the state’s far north.

It came a day after $20 million was pledged for the storm clean-up in the southeast.

Brisbane City Council has warned of higher than normal tides on Thursday, which could bring flooding to low-lying areas.

A major recovery effort is under way after seven people died in storm-related incidents, with the Gold Coast, Scenic Rim and Logan hardest hit.

More than 121,000 people across the state have received almost $22 million in financial assistance.

“The severity of impacts on communities in the far north and southeast is refected in the amount of assistance that’s already in the pockets of Queenslanders,” Disaster Recovery Minister Nikki Boyd said.

State Treasurer Cameron Dick has estimated the state’s repair bill would be $2 billion but expected that figure to rise.

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