'Potentially life-threatening': Stunning photos come with dire warning
Stunning photos have shown a Far North Queensland road inundated from just 24 hours of rain after an ex-tropical cyclone crossed the coast.
Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads posted photos of Gulf Development Road on Facebook on Monday.
It connects western areas of Far North Queensland to the east.
“In just 24 hours,” the department wrote.
Nearby Normanton received 262mm of rain in the 24 hours leading up to 9am Monday (AEST) due to Ex-Tropical Cyclone Imogen, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
It has since transitioned to a tropical low.
The photos were shared to warn people not to drive through floodwaters.
“We’re expecting intense rainfall and potentially life-threatening flash flooding across north Queensland over the next few days,” the department wrote.
“A Flood Watch is current for parts of the eastern Gulf and western Cape between Normanton and Kowanyama, and the North Tropical Coast between Cooktown and Ayr.
“More than half of Queensland's flood-related deaths are a result of driving through flood waters so please back it up and if it’s flooded forget it.”
‘Heavy rain’, ‘destructive winds’ to come
BOM meteorologist Claire Yeo said despite the tropical cyclone weakening severe weather warnings remain in place for the eastern inland Gulf to the east coast.
This includes areas such as Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville and Ayr.
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Ms Yeo said the weather warning is for “heavy rain” and “locally destructive winds”.
There are also flood watches for areas in the northern tropics, Far North Queensland east coast and the inland Gulf, which includes Normanton, Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville, Ayr and Kowanyama.
“Heavy rain of 200 to 300mm is likely over the flood watch area over the next 24 hours with much higher isolated totals accumulating over the next few days,” Ms Yeo said.
Normanton recorded winds of up to 100km/h about 1.20am on Monday while Kowanyama, northwest of Normanton, copped 74.8mm in the 24 hours leading up to 9am Monday.
Mornington Island Airport, to the west, received 192mm in the same time frame with another 97mm before that.
Cairns is yet to cop much rain though but that could be set to change with up to 200mm possible on Tuesday and 150mm on Wednesday.
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