Severe weather warning for Queensland’s far north as more rain expected to soak region

Sodden and exhausted, far north Queenslanders are still waiting for a reprieve with more heavy rainfall predicted to soak the region.

A severe weather warning for heavy rainfall was issued by the Bureau of Meteorology on Monday morning for parts of the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands, including Townsville and Ingham, as a low weather system passes over the state’s north.

The warning also covers parts of the Peninsula, Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields, Upper Flinders, Herbert and Lower Burdekin forecast districts, and could potentially affect the towns of Georgetown, Normanton, Palm Island, and Croydon.

“Well, we’re nearing the end but we’re not quite there yet,” 7NEWS meteorologist and weather presenter Tony Auden said of the ongoing wet conditions.

“There are still a few pockets of heavy rain in the past day, once again centred between Ingham and Townsville.

“We have a band of moderate rain between Townsville and Bowen at the moment, with a weak low embedded offshore among that blob of rain.”

Significant rainfall is expected to continue about northern Queensland until early Wednesday, with a low moving over the Gulf Country “embedded in the monsoon trough”, according to BOM.

Extremely wet soil and river catchments after days of heavy rain have led to a higher-than-normal vulnerability to flash flooding.

Floodwaters have already cut power, damaged roads and forced hundreds of people to evacuate over the past week, with Ingham among the worst-hit areas.

The rural town was completely isolated for days after a bridge collapsed amid floodwaters that cut power, disrupted telecommunications, affected food supply and claimed the lives of two women.

More heavy rain fell across the weekend, with a severe weather warnings issued from Tully to Ayr.

“Looking ahead, we have a more dynamic 36 hours or so ahead until it all likely clears away on Wednesday,” Auden said.

“A stronger low is ramping up in the Gulf of Carpentaria and should move across and off the coast near Ingham by Tuesday night, bringing the clearance.

“But before then, we could get stronger ‘convergence zones’ which could drive slightly heavier and more widespread rainfall.”

Isolated 24-hourly rainfall totals up to 250mm are possible for the Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders with isolated 24-hourly rainfall totals up to 220mm possible for North Tropical Coast, Herbert and Lower Burdekin.

These areas all include a warning for potential dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.

“Thankfully, most of the coastal flooding has eased back to minor and moderate levels, though the mighty Burdekin is still in major flood,” Auden said.

Some residents have started to return to flood-ravaged homes, with more than 4000 storm and flood-related insurance claims so far.

The total damage bill is unknown.

So far $8 million is available for affected residents through the Commonwealth’s community relief fund, while Queensland Premier David Crisafulli is pushing for federal support to lift bridges above flood level along the Bruce Hwy.

Queensland Reconstruction Authority chief executive Jake Ellwood warned the clean-up would be hard, with an enormous toll on the mental health of affected people expected in addition to physical and economic impacts.

“Recovery and reconstruction is not a days and weeks event — it is months and years,” the retired major general said in Townsville on Saturday.

— With AAP