During the past week the synoptic surface weather charts have changed to a type normally seen in late spring or early summer.
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At present a slow-moving high pressure system is sitting in the South Tasman Sea directing a warm humid north-east air mass from coastal Queensland across our regions.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms have brought very heavy falls to many places southwards along the Queensland coast from Rockhampton to the Sunshine Coast.
To date Maryborough has had 240mms of rainfall already, twice the October average.
Tewantin has had 366mms, almost the wettest-ever October which occurred in October last year.
Gympie, which had a severe thunderstorm with hail the size of tennis balls, has recorded 240mms and this is also close to last year's record wet October.
As these places are having a much wetter-than-average October for the second successive year, it is interesting to note this followed a dry winter in our region for the second successive year.
In October 1882 there was very heavy rain in this part of Queensland and again in October 1972.
Both those years followed a dry winter also in our region.
In 1972 welcome heavy rain fell in late October and again in early and late November at most places in our region to far south of Condobolin, but north-east Victoria and Riverina missed out.
The picture in 1882 was much better with both October and November being wetter than average over the whole of our region.
Both those years saw a very hot summer later on.
The last three months of last year, also warmer than normal, saw useful rains late October, the third week of November and heavy rain December 2 and 3.
Coonabarabran may get its first month with above-average rainfall for this year.
A complex area of low pressure has just entered the far west of South Australia and is moving slowly eastwards resulting in above-normal humidities.
Dew point temperatures currently around 15 degrees at many places in South Australia is very unusual for this time of year, more like values recorded in mid-summer.
This system, if it continues moving slowly, will allow for heavier rainfalls to occur during the next few days in our region.
There had been plenty of convective cumulus this last weekend moving from the north but high level cirrus had been moving from WSW, and by Sunday evening was moving slowly from north west; a better chance of rain in the next 72 hours.
Would you believe both Maryborough and Tewantin had a wet year in 1938?
