As the Wide Bay-Burnett region braces for a wet weekend, local councils are now calling on their residents to stay alert and double-check their emergency plans.
The North Burnett Regional Council issued a warning to the region’s locals earlier today off the back of a Bureau of Meteorology ‘severe weather warning’ report, which forecast significant rainfalls and potential flash flooding in the hours and days to come.
“Severe Weather is set to move into the North Burnett from this evening, with BOM forecasting six-hourly rainfall totals of 100-160mm during early Friday morning,” the Council warning read.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s severe weather warning was issued at 1:10pm on Thursday afternoon to residents of parts of the Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast regions.
“An upper low moving into southeast Queensland will result in widespread rainfall from early Friday morning,” the BOM report began.
“Heavy rainfall is expected to be concentrated around a surface trough which is forecast to develop over the Wide Bay and Burnett district early Friday morning and move slowly southwards during the afternoon and evening.
“Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast to develop during the early hours of Friday and continue into Friday evening.
“Locally intense rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is possible with thunderstorms during Friday afternoon,” the warning continued.
The North Burnett council has called on locals to double-check their emergency measures ahead of the projected weather event.
“Now is the time to: ensure you have sufficient food, supplies and medication should you become isolated, monitor weather warnings and conditions issued by Bureau of Meteorology, [and] review your household emergency plan and kit,” a spokesperson for the NBRC wrote.
The South Burnett, Somerset and Moreton Bay regions have also been affected by the ongoing weather event, with further roadways now closed as a result of flooding or damages.
Important thoroughfares and access points to the South Burnett at Kilcoy, Moore and Woodford have already been closed to motorists.
A list of closed roads in the three areas follows below:
South Burnett:
Sandy Ridges, Robin and Lee Road
Booie, Mondure Crossing Road
Nanango, McNamara Road
Brooklands, Darley Crossing Road, Darley Estate Road
Tarong, Tarong Railway Road
Wengenville, Maidenwell Bunya Mountain Road
Maidenwell, Maidenwell Upper Yarraman Road, McConnell Road
Yarraman, Emmert Street
Somerset:
Linville, Mount Stanley Road
Moore, Arababy Creek Road at Allerys Bridge
Kilcoy, D’Aguilar Highway at Kilcoy Creek Bridge
Mount Kilcoy / Sheep Station Creek, Mount Kilcoy Road
Moreton Bay:
Woodford, D’Aguilar Highway at Stanley River Bridge
