Town receives more rain in four days than Melbourne gets in a year

A Queensland town has recorded more rain in four days than Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide receive on average over a year.

Wild weather has lashed southeast Queensland and northern NSW for more than four days now bringing heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large waves.

Some residents in northern NSW are being told to evacuate ahead of possible flooding. Several river catchment areas on the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers in NSW have been issued with flood warnings as rain continues to fall.

A man loads up sandbags to his car at Pimpama on the Gold Coast.
A Gold Coast man picks up some sandbags on Sunday as several areas are hit by floodwaters. Source: AAP

Such is the sheer volume of the deluge, the Bureau of Meteorology told the ABC the rainfall has been a “a one-in-100-year event”.

Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino tweeted Upper Springbrook, in the Gold Coast hinterland, has received more rain in just four days than either Adelaide, Perth or Melbourne receive in an average year.

Mr Domensino added Upper Springbrook received 952mm over the four days while Perth normally receives annually on average 733mm, Melbourne 648mm and Adelaide 547mm.

Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke told Yahoo News Australia there isn’t any long-term history for rainfall in Upper Springbrook.

“Lower Springbrook has had a two-day total of 547mm - its most in 15 years,” he said.

Queensland rain eases

Mr Dustschke added the system is beginning to ease in flooded areas as the system moves south.

“It won’t nearly be at the same intensity,” he said.

“The worst is over in terms of wind and rain. The waves will take longer to settle but some are starting to drop.”

A teenage girl struggles with her umbrella in stormy conditions at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.
Girls in Surfers Paradise struggle in the wind. Source: AAP

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