Harsh monsoon season brings heavy rain to Australia by Tomasz Schafernaker
A harsh monsoon season has brought heavy rain and widespread flooding to parts of Australia over the weekend. Two storms struck Townsville in northern Queensland, dumping more than 50mm (1.97inches) of rainfall in less than an hour. Emergency services spent Sunday night rescuing stranded drivers and homeowners from the floodwaters.
Authorities in Queensland are keeping an eye on a low pressure system just off the coast after the heavy rain caught many people by surprise. Meanwhile further south in Sydney, many suburbs still remain without power, with a number of bridges and roads still closed from the flood damage.
The current La Nina in the Pacific will maintain a very wet weather pattern across eastern Australia. In contrast, this part of the world saw severe drought last year. Despite the rain easing in Sydney, more rain is forecast for northern Queensland, meaning the worst may not yet be over.
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