Residents in far north Queensland are preparing for continued heavy rain as ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper moves slowly westward across the Cape York Peninsula.
The system, which struck the coast north of Cairns on Wednesday night and then weakened to a tropical low, is projected to reach the Gulf of Carpentaria by late Sunday or Monday, although it has slowed its progress significantly. Earlier predictions had anticipated it would arrive on Saturday.
The storm, now a category 2 system, is expected to bring more rain and has a moderate risk of re-strengthening into a cyclone next week as it crosses the Gulf towards the Northern Territory.
Immediate concerns include ongoing heavy rain, which is forecasted to continue for several more days.
Severe storms in southeast Queensland cause fatalities and significant damage, with more expected.Angus Hines from the Bureau of Meteorology noted that the eastern and inland areas of north Queensland will experience the heaviest rainfall.
The Daintree region, just north of Port Douglas, has already seen over a meter of rain in the past four days, with other eastern coast weather stations reporting more than 500mm over the same period. An additional 200mm is expected this weekend.
Severe weather warnings remain in effect for the Peninsula, Gulf Country, and Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders districts. The Daintree River is under a major flood warning, and several other northern river systems are experiencing minor or moderate flooding.
The Queensland Reconstruction Authority has begun damage assessments following the state-federal disaster assistance announcement.
Tragically, a 30-year-old man was electrocuted and killed by fallen powerlines in Murarrie on Friday night amid severe thunderstorms.
The storms caused significant damage, with Cooyar Creek recording 77mm of rain in just two hours and areas between Caboolture and Woodford receiving 60mm to 90mm in 30 minutes. Further thunderstorms are possible in the southeast this weekend.