THE dry season proved to be anything but in parts of North Queensland as heavy rain drenched the region.
Alligator Creek, south of Townsville, received 88mm in the 24 hours to 9am today - which was six times its average July monthly rainfall total.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rosa Hoff said Alligator Creek had received the highest total in all of Queensland.
"The rain was particularly heavy there, they had 48mm in one hour, which is about three times their average July rainfall, falling in just one hour," Ms Hoff said.
Further south Alva Beach received 80mm in the 24 hours, which is four times their average July rainfall and the heaviest July daily total in 23 years of records.
Ms Hoff said the heaviest falls were recorded in suburbs south of Townsville.
"We generally saw between 40-50mm around that southern section of Townsville, however the Townsville gauge is a bit further north and there was only 15mm in town and 16mm at the airport."
Showers continued to the south with Mackay picking up 22mm and Hamilton Island about 25mm.
But it wasn't just confined to the coast.
Charters Towers itself picked up 44mm, but it was patchy around the town.
"That was the most inland extent in that area, with 44mm at Charters Towers, but the time you get out to Trafalgar Station is had dropped to below 10mm - they only got 6.8mm," Ms Hoff said.
She said a surface trough lying across the coastal regions deepened with an upper trough combining to exacerbate the totals.
The rain cleared today, but showers may return at the weekend.
Ms Hoff said a surface trough was forming over western Queensland which may bring handy inland rain.
She said there was a 20 per cent chance for showers in areas including Windorah, Longreach, Charters Towers, Hughenden, Moranbah and Emerald.
The chance of rain increases to 50 per cent in places from Canarvon to south of Tambo.
