AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2011
QLD:Wet weather set to continue in Qld
BRISBANE, Dec 14 AAP - The wet start to Queensland's summer is set to continue through
to March with the country in another La Nina weather pattern, forecasters say.
While a repeat of last year's extreme rainfall and floods is still highly unlikely,
Queensland should get at least one, or possibly two, cyclones crossing the coast.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gordon Banks says Queensland is already seeing the
affects of the La Nina.
He pointed to rivers in south west Queensland, the southern interior of the state and
far north Queensland which have already flooded this December.
There would likely be more floods to come, he warned.
"If we do see further heavy rainfall over just about any part of the state then we
will quite quickly see river rises associated with it," he told AAP.
However the rainfall is unlikely to be as intense as last year, when Queensland saw
record floods.
"The La Nina is still relatively weak and certainly weaker than it was this time last
year," Mr Banks said.
"We're not anticipating that sort of extreme rainfall this year."
Mr Banks said it was likely that at least one cyclone would cross the coast because
La Nina conditions were associated with increased cyclone activity.
The Weather Channel's chief meteorologist Dick Whitaker predicted one heavy rain event
per week over summer, compared with the two per week that Queenslanders experienced last
summer.
Increased cloud cover associated with above average rainfall meant the state could
expect below average daytime temperatures and above average nighttime temperatures.
Moisture-laden summer storms would likely dump more rain on the state because of the
La Nina conditions, he said.
"Instead of large hail and strong winds they tend to produce more flash flooding, because
they tend to be really loaded up with moisture," he told AAP.
AAP mjf/gd/wf
KEYWORD: RAIN QLD
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