The most outstanding weather event the past week has been the flood rains in Tropical North Queensland.
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Cairns, which had a near-record 1572mm for December to January, recorded a further 196mm during the first three days of February, taking the summer total to 1768mms almost equal to the annual average.
Townsville has recorded a total of 1280mm so far this summer, and in eight days to 8pm Sunday February 3, 1000mms was recorded with the worst floods in the town's history.
The town of Ingham located between Townsville and Cairns has broken two daily records for rainfalls this summer; 485mms on December 16 and 419mms on Sunday February 3. The total rainfall so far this summer has reached 2402mms, more than the annual average at Ingham of 2080mm.
The very heavy to flood rains this summer in Tropical North Queensland are running parallel to similar flood rain events which previously happened in 1886-1887, 1895-1896, 1916-1917, 1973-1974, 1980-1981 and 2009-2010.
These six cases did lead to significant rainfalls in our regions by mid-February. Currently we are having more hot days but increased humidity. Dew points are very high at 18 degrees and this will gradually lead to increased thunderstorm activity.
The complex low which brought the flood rains to Cairns and Townsville also brought much-needed rainfalls to Queensland’s very dry north west.
Mt Isa recorded its wettest February day with 123mm while Cloncurry with 178mms also recorded its wettest February day in 135 years. This month's total of 346mm at Cloncurry is already the wettest for February since 360mms in 1955.
Further south in the Warrego and Maranoa region it has continued very dry.
St George had no rain during January for the first time since 1884 and also the hottest January since 1932. Roma had only 0.6mms during January and also had its hottest January since 1896.
Most places in our region had their hottest January on record. Those places which have records going back to 1870 had hotter Januaries in either 1878, 1882, 1887, 1889, 1896 and 1906.
Coonabarabran had its hottest January since 1896, with the mean maximum temperature of 37.0, 5.3 above normal. There were 11 days of 38 degrees or more.
The month's rainfall in Coonabarabran fell short of average again for the 13th successive month with only 57mms.
It will exceed the average this month for a welcome change; could be well over 100mm.
Bourke also had its hottest January since 1896. At Deniliquin there were hotter Januaries in 1878, 1887 and 1906.
