Rain update: Severe thunderstorms likely as trough moves southward down east coast

The rain has blessed graziers with a stellar start to their wet season, but the flow-on effect has been the cancellation of all northern cattle sales.

It's also understood the Thomas Borthwicks & Sons meat processing plant at Bakers Creek, Mackay has cut back to killing on Monday and Tuesday only this week, partly because of the difficulties in getting cattle off properties and partly because workers are unable to access the plant.

Koumala cattle and cane farmer Gavin Linthwaite described the rain that started last Wednesday as like the wet seasons of old.

"We're copping it alright," he said.

"I haven't got a clue how much we've had - I gave up recording it after a couple of days.

"When it's wet, it's wet."

A call to a neighbour put their rain at a total of 430mm for five days, starting with 125mm last Wednesday, followed by daily totals of 32mm, 77mm, 72mm, and 129mm.

Mr Linthwaite said there was more heavy rain on Monday morning, so they were likely to record another high total.

"We know what rain's like - in Cyclone Debbie we had 900mm in two hours," he said, adding that because he was on the coast, the water was draining away well.

He was hoping his late planted cane, which was two to three months younger than it should be, thanks to the late crush, was holding up.

People were still able to move around on Sunday evening, attending a cane crush cut-out party at Koumala, which Mr Linthwaite said was well attended.

"We had so much rain last year, all through the crush - I think we're a bit over it," he said.

Further west, Cathie Fernie measured 278mm over five days at Riverview, 140km west of Clermont, and said it was the best January rain either she or her husband Andrew could remember in 36 years.

"It's so much better than last January - we had 54mm in four falls then, and February was only 34mm," she said.

"The water hasn't run off like it normally does - we had good grass rain last year and that's held up all the water.

"Our dams had water but they didn't get filled last year.

"Now we've got one big dam bywashing and another is 18 inches from doing the same."

She said that neighbours to the west, Sandy and Ross McKeering had had in excess of 340mm for the week.

A spokesperson from the Bureau of Meteorology said the heavy rain was caused by a trough, which extends across northern Queensland to a weak tropical low near the Herbert and Lower Burdekin coast.

"The low will drift southward along the east coast towards the Whitsunday Islands over the next day or two enhancing rainfall in its vicinity," the Bureau spokesperson said.

"The tropical low may move east offshore, while the trough is likely to move northwards and become more monsoonal from Wednesday.

"A weak ridge along the south eastern and central coast will strengthen and extend further north over the next few days enhancing wind flow and convergence areas along the central coast."

The Bureau expects an inland trough over south western Queensland will remain slow moving over the coming days.

"A weak embedded tropical low may also form in the monsoon trough over the Gulf of Carpentaria through the latter part of this week," the spokesperson said.

Since 9 am Sunday, rainfall totals in excess of 200 mm have been observed across the headwaters of the Pioneer River catchment in the Finch Hatton area.

The heaviest 24-hourly rainfall totals across north Queensland from Sunday 9am include: 392 mm at Jubilee Pocket, 372 mm at Peter Faust Dam, 317 mm at Proserpine Airport, 313 mm at Preston and Bowen.

A severe weather warning is current for Central Coast and Whitsundays and parts of Herbert and Lower Burdekin and Central Highlands and Coalfields Forecast Districts, including the Pioneer River catchment.

A police 4WD was swept off the Pump Creek causeway, near Almaden in far North Queensland last Friday, January 13.

Around 4.15pm, a single officer patrol was travelling along the Burke Development Road between Chillagoe and Almaden, with the officer returning to Chillagoe after responding to a call for service in Mareeba.

The officer drove onto the causeway with the strength of the water current sweeping the vehicle off the roadway and into Pump Creek.

The officer exited the vehicle and swam a short distance to the creek bank.

He was physically uninjured.

The 4WD will be recovered once flood waters recede.

There are sufficient police vehicles in the district to ensure there is no disruption to policing services whilst a replacement vehicle is sourced.

An investigation has commenced as to the circumstances surrounding this incident.

Remember, if it's flooded, forget it!

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