Australia: Flood-related disruptions ongoing across eastern Far North Queensland, Dec. 17 /update 1

Flood-related disruptions are ongoing across eastern parts of Far North Queensland late Dec. 17. Cairns Airport (CNS) issued a statement at 19:40 Dec. 17 noting that the airport was closed due to flooding. A further assessment will be conducted early Dec. 18. There are no flights scheduled for the morning of Dec. 18.

Elsewhere, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) maintains major flood warnings for several rivers, including Daintree, Barron, Mulgrave/Russel, Johnstone, Tully, and Herbert located north and south of Cairns. Related warnings are available here. In addition, multiple road routes, including highways, are closed in an area located north of Townsville to Cooktown, located north of Cairns. For further road closure details, please click here.

A warning for heavy, localized intense rainfall has also been issued Dec. 17 for several locations, including Peninsula, Gulf Country, North Tropical Coast, Tablelands, and the Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders Forecast Districts. Emergency services are responding in multiple flood-impacted locations. Evacuations of at-risk residents have been reported in multiple locations. There have been no casualties reported. Power outages have been reported across the impacted area.

Disruptions to air and road travel and power supply will persist through at least Dec. 18. Officials will likely update existing warnings in the coming hours and days. Further heavy rainfall is forecast through at least Dec. 18 before conditions stabilize from Dec. 19.