Rainfall was recorded across the northern tropics and eastern Australia while the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Seth produced rainfall totals in excess of 400 mm to 700 mm in the Wide Bay and Burnett District in Queensland.

Past seven days: At the start of the week, a deep trough extended across eastern Australia and generated thunderstorms and showers over inland southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Daily rainfall totals of 50 mm to 100 mm were recorded in eastern Victoria, inland southern New South Wales and southern Queensland, and north-eastern Tasmania, and several locations in south-eastern Australia recorded their highest January daily rainfall in more than two decades.

The remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Seth, which was located off the south-east Queensland coast, moved in a north-west direction then crossed the Queensland coast in the Wide Bay and Burnett District mid-week. The system produced 2-day rainfall totals in excess of 400 mm with up to 700 mm recorded in the hills near Gympie with intensive downpours occurring from the afternoon of the 7th to the morning of the 8th. Daily rainfall of 674 mm at Marodian TM on the 8th was the highest daily rainfall recorded in the country since December 2018.

In the second half of the week, tropical cyclone Tiffany developed in the Coral Sea late on the evening of the 9th, and crossed the east coast of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland on the 10th. It was downgraded to a tropical low system as it tracked west through the Peninsula into waters of eastern Gulf of Carpentaria on the last day of the week. Tiffany bought moderate rainfall to northern Queensland, with 2-day rainfall totals of 100 mm to 200 mm recorded in the North Tropical Coast and the Peninsula districts.

A trough across eastern Australia produced thunderstorms and showers in central and south-west Queensland, central New South Wales and northern Victoria at the end of the week.

Seasonal thunderstorms produced moderate rainfall in the Kimberley and parts of the Pilbara and Northern Interior in Western Australia, and northern parts of the Northern Territory during the week.

Rainfall totals in excess of 100 mm were recorded in areas of north-east Tasmania and the East Gippsland District in Victoria; areas in north-eastern, and south-eastern New South Wales extending to the south and central slopes; along Queensland’s North Tropical Coast, and areas in the Peninsula District. Areas in the Wide Bay and Burnett District in Queensland recorded weekly rainfall totals of 400 mm to 700 mm. The highest weekly rainfall total was 740 mm at Marodian in the hills around Gympie.

Rainfall totals between 50 mm and 100 mm were recorded across much of the Cape York Peninsula and areas in central and south-eastern Queensland; much of the eastern half of New South Wales; much of the North East and East Gippsland districts in Victoria, and most of eastern and northern Tasmania. Large parts of the Top End in the Northern Territory and the north Kimberley in Western Australia recorded similar weekly rainfall totals.

Rainfall totals of 10 mm to 50 mm were recorded in the Kimberley and parts of the Pilbara in Western Australia; the northern half of the Northern Territory; northern, eastern, south-western and inland southern parts of Queensland; most of the eastern two-thirds of New South Wales; much of Victoria apart from the north-west, and Tasmania. Similar totals were recorded in small areas around South Australia’s South Central Coast.

Highest weekly totals

New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
203 mmBowra Sugarloaf
193 mmRobertson (The Pie Shop)
161 mmHume ReservoirLake Cargelligo Airport

Victoria
159 mm Anglers Rest (Bundarrah Valley
155 mm Huon (Barkleys Camp)
154 mm Lorne (Mount Cowley)

Queensland
740 mm Marodian Tm
664 mm Mt Kanigan Al
592 mm Miva Tm

Western Australia
77 mm Gibb River
70 mm Kununurra Aero
65 mm Troughton IslandWyndham Aero

South Australia
78 mm Parawa (Second Valley Forest A)
31 mm Mount Lofty, Sevenhill

Tasmania
319 mm Gray (Dalmayne Rd)
251 mm Mount Barrow (South Barrow)
243 mm Cornwall

Northern Territory
91 mm Black Point, Mount Stow
71 mm East Arm

These rainfall totals are based on real-time rainfall reports, and only limited quality control has been performed on the data. Some station names have been shortened by taking away words such as post office and airport.