The first cyclone of the season, cyclone Tasha has crossed the coast just south of Cairns near Gordonvale
Cairns cyclone preparedness was tested but flooding around town was mild, with more severe flooding to the south of Cairns. The water level at Peets Bridge at Goldsborough was 10 metres, cutting access to the tablelands via the Gillie's Highway.
Read more about Cairns weather.
Cyclone crosses Qld coast
Saturday, December 25, 2010 » 07:49pm
Torrential rain has lashed Qld's far nth coast with Cyclone Tasha running out of puff near Cairns.
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Torrential rain has lashed Queensland's far north coast with Tropical Cyclone Tasha running out of puff between Cairns and Innisfail early on Christmas morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported that the rapidly fading category one cyclone made land about 5.30am (AEST) south of Cairns.
One home lost a roof at Mission Beach, 7000 properties lost power and the State Emergency Service (SES) responded to more than 150 calls for help, on top of the 417 calls statewide on Christmas Eve.
At Ravenshoe, two people and their cat and dog were rescued from a rooftop after floodwaters inundated their house.
Twenty households in Irvinebank, near Herberton, were evacuated after the nearby Ibis Weir approached capacity.
Cyclone Tasha was quickly downgraded to a tropical low, but flooding has become an even greater concern.
Goldsborough Valley recorded 279mm, with the next highest rainfall at Corsis with 277mm, followed by Topaz with 276mm.
Cairns received less than 100mm of rain.
Heavy rain is expected to persist during the next few days as the system moves southwest through to the Central Highlands and beyond.
The state disaster management group met in Brisbane on Christmas Day and Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts told reporters afterwards there were no reports of injuries.
'We ask people to be patient and cautious when they are out and about, there's still a lot of heavy rain in the far north,' he said.
'Fifteen centimetres of water can sweep a person off their feet, 60 centimetres or two feet can wash a car off the road, so there's very dangerous conditions up and down the coast.
'Queenslanders from the tip of Cape York right through to the Gold Coast and inland can expect very heavy rain, thunderstorms and localised flooding and roads cuts (for the next week).'
State disaster co-ordinator and deputy police commissioner Ian Stewart urged motorists to take note of road closures and beware of flash flooding.
Emergency Management Queensland spokesman Bruce Grady said the cyclone was short-lived, lasting just seven hours.
'We got what we expected ... a lot of rain on the back of a previous (high rainfall),' he said.
Authorities are still concerned for the welfare of five bushwalkers missing in two groups on Hinchinbrook Island, off the coast of Cardwell.
Three hikers were due to be picked up at the north end of the island at noon on Christmas Eve, but failed to arrive.
However, the other two were not due to finish their trek until Monday, police said.
A police spokeswoman said the island would have been hammered by Cyclone Tasha, but an assessment or search won't be possible until the weather improves.
Senior forecaster Greg Browning said the cyclone had been at the low end of the scale when it crossed between the townships of Gordonvale and Babinda.
'It was the weakest that a cyclone can be,' he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Browning said a second low pressure system in the Gulf of Carpentaria was not likely to reach tropical cyclone intensity.
'(The system) does look like it will intensify in the next few days, but it depends on its movements,' he said.
'It doesn't look like it will stay in the Gulf of Carpentaria long enough to develop into a tropical cyclone ... but things can change between now and then.'
It's also been a soggy Christmas for residents south of the cyclone zone. Gairloch and Dumbleton Rocks, near Mackay, had 83mm of rain and there were falls of 50mm to 80mm between Ingham and Mackay from 9am to 3pm (AEST).
Severe weather warnings are current for people living between Cardwell and St Lawrence, extending inland.
There are flood warnings for the following rivers: Mulgrave, Russell, Johnstone, Tully, Herbert, Ross, and Don, and adjacent streams Pioneer, Fitzroy, Burnett, Condamine-Balonne, Warrego and Thomson, Barcoo, and Cooper Creek.
Meanwhile in central Queensland, authorities have door-knocked residents in Theodore and held community briefings in preparation for floods as an overnight surge of water heads down the Dawson River.
Banana Shire deputy mayor Maureen Clancy told AAP six families had been evacuated, and five buildings were flooded so far.
'We're on high alert,' she said.
Authorities urge people to check road closure information at www.131940.qld.gov.au or www.racq.com.au/travel/maps-and-Directions/road-conditions
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