Qld: Big wet set to continue in Queensland

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2000
Qld: Big wet set to continue in Queensland

BRISBANE, Dec 27 AAP - Queensland's big wet appeared set to continue with roads cut
and communities isolated by flooded rivers and streams, especially in the state's north
and west.

A police spokesman at Camooweal, near the Northern Territory border, said the Barkly
Highway was cut by the Georgina River which was 1.8 metres over the road just west of
the town.

But there was only a handful of motorists stranded there because those who had been
unable to get through in the past few days had returned to Tennant Creek in the Northern
Territory or back to Mt Isa, he said.

In the Gulf country, Burketown and the Aboriginal community of Doomadgee remained cut
off by road.

A police spokesman in Burketown said rain had started again yesterday after a brief
respite on Christmas Day.

He said Burketown had been isolated by floodwaters since the beginning of the month
and was expected to remain cut off until well into the New Year but the town had plentiful
supplies of food after an airlift last Thursday.

Bureau of meteorology duty forecaster Ralph Birks said Burketown had had 163mm of rain
in the 24 hours to 9am today, but falls in the central west of the state were much lower,
with Hughenden receiving 35mm and Longreach 34mm.

In the south-east corner, Brisbane airport recorded only 3mm in the 24-hour period
to 9am today and Amberley near Ipswich, 7mm.

"We are expecting more storms again in the Brisbane area today and there's a possibility
of rain tomorrow and continuing into Friday," Mr Birks said.

Flood warnings have been issued for the Diamantina, Georgina, Flinders, Bulloo, Gregory,
Leichhardt, Lower Thompson and Barcoo Rivers and Cooper and Eyre Creeks.

AAP rad/mg

KEYWORD: RAIN QLD

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