Queensland’s annual monsoon was several weeks late when a monsoonal low over the Northern Territory brought heavy rainfalls and associated flooding to much of northern, central and western Queensland in late January and early February 2020, ending months of dry conditions across the state.
In late January 2020, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain and flash flooding across the Gulf Country and a severe thunderstorm warning, also with flash flooding, for the Herbert and Lower Burdekin region south-east of Townsville. Flood warnings were issued for a number of rivers including the Norman, Paroo, Thomson, Barcoo, and upper Flinders rivers and Cooper Creek. Minor flood warnings were issued for the Cloncurry, Cape and Upper Herbert rivers, and Wallam and Mungallala creeks.
Subsequently, torrential rainfall of more than 300 millimetres (mm) over several days across much of northern Queensland produced significant flooding in numerous river catchments and caused localised flash flooding.
On Saturday 25 January, a 61-year-old man drowned while swimming near Big Millstream Falls south-west of Ravenshoe when he was dragged under the water by a fast-flowing current after 300mm of rainfall in preceding days. His body was found by police divers the following day.
On Monday 27 January, a severe thunderstorm dumped more than 100mm of rain on Townsville causing localised flooding and a rockslide, and the State Emergency Service (SES) received about 20 calls for assistance, mainly for leaky roofs and requests for sandbags.
In Burdekin Shire to Townsville’s south-east that same day, floodwaters closed the Bruce Highway near Ayr, which received 421mm of rainfall, and on nearby Rita Island, 529mm of rainfall fell in the 24 hours to 9.00am, more than three times the area’s average January rainfall in just one day. Police rescued a man stranded in his car in floodwaters at Giru and a number of schools were closed on what was meant to be the first day of the new school year.
In the 24 hours to 9.00 am on 29 January, Cairns Airport recorded 217mm and the SES received 44 calls for assistance, mainly for sandbags to stem rising water levels. Elsewhere, Normanton received 193mm of rainfall, Hughendon 130mm and Magnetic Island 218mm.
Following several days of the monsoon rains, several Queensland towns were cut off by rising floodwaters. Roads were closed in areas around Charters Towers, Cloncurry and Mount Isa, and floodwaters affecting rail lines closed freight services between Townsville and Mount Isa. Police closed the road west from Camooweal to the Northern Territory after around 40 cars were forced to wait for waters to recede at a river crossing west of the town.
Floodwaters resulting from the rainfall flowed downstream during February, some eventually reaching south-west Queensland and north-east South Australia by late February. While the downpours and associated floodwaters caused widespread damage and disruption to services, farmers reliant on water for crops and livestock welcomed the soaking rains.
Joint Commonwealth-State disaster recovery funding was made available for counter disaster operations and the reconstruction of essential public assets in 23 local government areas in QLD impacted by the monsoonal flooding event between 23 January and 3 February.