UPDATED: Unusually heavy rain has lashed the Sunshine Coast during the past week.
Days of wet weather, caused by a moist onshore flow and a trough off the coastline, swamped parts of the region.
Nambour Hillside recorded a new August four-day record of 157.4mm, easily eclipsing the 65mm in 2010, from 18 years of data. That station also registered a new August daily record of 98.8mm, smashing the 58.4mm of 2010.
Three locations had their highest August four-day totals since 2007, including Mapleton (219mm) Maleny (206mm) and Peachester (160.7mm). Highest August one-day totals since 2007 were also captured at Mapleton (138mm) and Maleny (136mm).
Three major locations had their highest August four-day totals since 2014, including at Sunshine Coast Airport (102.2mm), Caloundra Airport (103.7mm) and Tewantin (77.2mm).
Highest August one-day totals since 2014 were also recorded at Sunshine Coast Airport (65mm), and Tewantin (49.6mm), while the highest monthly one-day figure since 2010 was at Caloundra Airport (55.5mm).
EARLIER: Emergency services are poised for flood rescues as powerful downpours soak parts of Australia’s east coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Sarah Scully said the wet weather system was down to a moist onshore flow combined with a trough sitting just off the coast.
“A number of sites across southeast Queensland saw their wettest day on record for August,” she said, referring to the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday.
“Wednesday is going to be another wet day around southern Queensland and northern NSW including Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast areas with a further 20-40mm of rainfall forecast,” she said.
In the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday, the heaviest falls on the Sunshine Coast were around the hinterland, with Mapleton receiving 138mm, Maleny 136mm and Cooroy 101mm. Sunshine Coast Airport had 65mm, Caloundra 56mm and Tewantin 50mm.
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At 12.30pm on Wednesday Sunshine Coast Council’s Disaster Hub listed about seven roads as being closed, including Stevens Road at Glenview, Colemans Road and Vee Road at Yandina and Old Gympie Road at Mooloolah Valley.
A male patient in his 20s was rescued after his vehicle was caught in floodwater on Chevallum Road, Palmwoods, about 10pm on Tuesday.
Parts of the Queensland coast including Yeppoon copped a battering overnight of more than 100mm in less than six hours.
Another 60mm of rain is forecast for Brisbane on Wednesday and up to 100mm for areas bordering the city.
Possible severe thunderstorms with heavy rain that may cause flash flooding are also forecast for K’gari, Stradbroke and Moreton islands.
Further south, about 100mm is expected between the NSW Tweed Coast and Coffs Harbour in a 24-hour period, with isolated higher falls possible.
The bulk of the wet weather system is expected to move on by Wednesday night with dryer and warmer conditions to take its place.
