Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms Wreak Havoc on Queensland

As the storm clouds gathered over Queensland, a 10-year-old girl’s life hung in the balance after she was struck by lightning at a private property in Beerwah. The severe thunderstorms, fueled by ex-Cyclone Jasper, made landfall on the Sunshine Coast, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The girl was rushed to Sunshine Coast University hospital before being airlifted to Queensland children’s hospital in a critical condition, according to Queensland police.

Meanwhile, the city of Cairns was grappling with major flooding as the Barron River rapidly rose, inundating homes, buildings, roads, and bridges. Authorities issued an emergency warning, urging residents to stay indoors and away from flooded areas, as the risk of landslides and service disruptions loomed. The region was particularly at risk, with the Barron catchment and Machans Beach bearing the brunt of the flooding.

The flooding was not limited to Cairns, with major flood warnings issued for other areas in far north Queensland, including the Daintree River, the Herbert River, the Johnstone River catchment, and the Mulgrave River. The region had already been soaked by ex-Cyclone Jasper, which dumped as much as a meter of rain over the state in just four days.

As the system moved west, it’s likely to meander around the Gulf of Carpentaria as a tropical low pressure system, according to Angus Hines from the Bureau of Meteorology. There’s a moderate chance that Jasper will redevelop into a cyclone by Wednesday, which could potentially impact the top end of the Northern Territory or double back and hit far north Queensland again.

Emergency services are urging residents to take extreme caution in the wet weather and prepare their properties, with the State Emergency Service responding to hundreds of requests for assistance. Tragedy struck when a 30-year-old man died on Friday evening in the Brisbane suburb of Murarrie, after being electrocuted by a fallen power line. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by severe thunderstorms.