Outback station cracks highest single rainfall in 30 years, all in one night

Epsilon Station, a 200,000 hectare property, in the south-west corner of Queensland (180 kilometres north of Tibooburra) has recorded 146 millimetres of rain.

The last time the station cracked the 100mm mark in one event was also a February, in the 1990s.

"Words can't describe this," Monique Betts said, who runs the station with her husband Clayton.

"It's a game changer, when it rains it changes everything."

It was getting that dry the Betts' were looking to cart water until they received 16mm in an isolated storm mid January, which gave them two months reprieve.

"Now we would potentially have 18 months comfortably, more probably," Mrs Betts said.

"This country is so responsive.

"This rain is a massive relief, it means our cows will actually have some options of what we can do with them.

"It will be amazing to see how this country, which is predominantly spinifex sandhill country, will respond to something it hasn't seen for years."

Mrs Betts said her parents-in-law, Graham and Sharon Betts, who were their station predecessors, also had never seen rain like this in one event.

"It's the biggest rain I've seen in nine years, the last was 45mm," she said.

"The land needed a good drink and that's what we got, it will be good to see what will come of it."

She said January 28, 2022, was the last time their house dam was filled by a fall of 45mm followed by a 15mm event the next day.

Her mother-in-law Sharon said the years of 1974 and 2010 were "big wet years" with more than 750mm (30 inches), but each individual fall never got to what they were experiencing now.

Just to the west over the South Australian border at Innamincka Station, Jacob Hutteroth recorded 142.5mm overnight in an event that would "turn the whole season around".

"It's a good start for the year, we will be able to maintain our numbers and may not have to destock," Mr Hutteroth said.

"It should take us through to winter."

He added it was the highest rainfall in "one hit" in six years.

Prior to this rainfall event, the station recorded 14.2mm in January.

The town of Tibooburra has been cut off due to road closures after falls of more than 70mm.

"We've not had this rainfall for a long time, for probably more than four years," Vicki Jackson from Tibooburra Food and Fuel said.

"It's perfect time of the year to have these good falls, it's been fairly dry in the corner country so it's nice to hear Cameron's Corner got 60mm," Ms Jackson said.

"It means if we get good summer rain, it will bring on the feed, which will hold us over to winter."

Meanwhile, back across the border into Queensland rainfall caused by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is causing elevated river levels in the Diamantina catchment.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), major flooding is now easing at Diamantina Lakes after peaking above both the January 1999 and February 1976 flood level.

BOM says river levels are rising downstream as the floodwater moves through the catchment and is warning minor flooding may occur at Birdsville mid week with further rises to the moderate level from next weekend.

But those at Birdsville are no strangers to flooding or being isolated as the town is bracing for the oncoming floodwaters.

Birdsville Hotel general manager, Ben Fullagar, said they were expecting to see the front of the water to come down about February 20 to 23.

"There will be a series of rises until it breaks over the banks in the coming weeks," Mr Fullagar said.

Today he was putting together food and liquor orders to make sure there was plenty of stock for when it floods.

"It's not new," he said.

"The way the land falls in the channel country sees a three kilometre wide funnel when it passes us, it's quite spectacular, while further north it spreads many kilometres wide.

"We've had flows since before Christmas, it almost stopped flowing before then, but good rainfall has seen it consistent.

"It's been one of the biggest turn around weather events I've seen. It's fantastic for the graziers and for us in tourism.

"We have a saying in Birdsville nothing is bad about a flood, while we will be isolated it is standard for us."