A month's worth of rain is tipped to fall in the next few days over Queensland's north as a lacklustre wet season ends with a sting in the tail.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued a warning this morning for areas between Rollingstone, north of Townsville, and Daintree Village with the surface trough located over the Coral Sea forecast to deepen later today.
BOM senior forecaster Steven Hadley said the rain was expected to start today and continue until early next week.
"Friday is when we potentially see this system really gearing up," he said.
According to Mr Hadley, places between Cairns and Ingham could expect localised falls of more than 150 millimetres, but up to 250mm was not out of the question.
The warning has also predicted intense rainfall leading to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding for areas across the Cassowary Coast tomorrow.
In the far north, as much as 450mm could fall in the next few days but it is unlikely a cyclone will form.
"There could be a tropical low [forming] somewhere within that trough; at the moment we're looking at a very low to low chance of a tropical cyclone," Mr Hadley said.
Mr Hadley said with catchment areas remaining fairly dry over the wet season, localised flooding could be expected as the system soaked riverbeds.
"It's been a bit of a lacklustre wet season … [but] there's potential to have a bit of a sting in the tail," he said.
Too much of a good thing
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said some rain would be welcome.
"You'd like it if you could have it fall on the catchment areas and it to be sunny in town," Ms Hill said.
Ross River Dam is at 47 per cent capacity and water restrictions are tipped to come into effect at 40 per cent.
"We often get big dumps of rain but quite often we're disappointed," Ms Hill said.
In 2019, the region experienced the largest rainfall event to have occurred over the Townsville catchment in 120 years.
In just 24 hours, 320mm fell in Ayr, south of Townsville.
Two people died in the event and more than 4,000 homes were damaged.
No threat to Anzac Day ceremonies
Anzac Day commemorations across much of north Queensland are going ahead despite the predicted heavy falls.
Townsville RSL president Bill Whitburn said rain had not deterred crowds in the past.
"It may deter a few people from showing up, but I do engage with the community to make sure they can watch and live stream the event."
Mr Whitburn said people put off by the rain could stream Townsville's Anzac Day services online.
