Parts of central and southern Qld record best March falls for years

Parts of the state in a line from Richmond and Hughenden down to Emerald, and extending to Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Maryborough coasts and adjacent inland regions were the main recipients of the system that was expected to keep delivering for most of the week.

According to Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Matt Marshall, an upper level low around South Australia interacting with Queensland's upper atmosphere, combined with ground level moisture pushed inland, was causing the instability.

It brought heavier rain in isolated pockets amid broadscale rain.

Beginning on Monday, significant falls were recorded in central Queensland in a band from Springsure through to Calliope.

Andrew and Kate Chapman, Rowanlea, Calliope who had been watching storms go around them, finally nailed a good 61 millimetres overnight on Monday.

Mr Chapman said they had received smaller falls under 10mm before this, but none this significant.

"It really is the best rain received in one fall since last October," he said.

"Hopefully it will help grow some grass before winter, and there has been more rain predicted for later in the week."

Other big winners included Carmen Stewart of Terang, near Comet, who recorded 68mm, while Claudette Rolfe, who lives 20 kilometres south of Springsure measured 65mm.

Cathy and George Hoare, Rockview, Bluff, measured from 30mm to 94mm in various gauges on their property.

Brahman breeder Will Fenech, Craigleigh, Wowan, also received 68mm.

In the Jandowae district there was a narrow band of storm rain delivering 50 to 125mm of rain to the north and eastern side of the town, which only received an 8mm fall.

AgForce grains president Brendan Taylor said the downpour had put a significant flow in the Jandowae Creek, which in turn could have filled the dam that the town draws its water supply from, several times over.

David and Sonya Greenup excitedly reported on the Who Got the Rain website they received 50mm at Rosevale, north east of Jandowae while they got 21mm at Booroomby near Jimbour.

On the Darling Downs falls of up to 50mm were recorded up to Tuesday night.

Further west, Noel and Jo-Anne Chiconi at Taylor's Plains north of Mungallala had tipped out 225mm or "9 inches in the old money" in the first half of March, recording 50mm of gentle, steady rain on Tuesday.

"In 18 years it's our best March rain by a long shot," Mr Chiconi said. "It's still raining and more is predicted.

Before this, their season had been on a knife's edge between more drought and a good season.

Mr Chiconi said that up until the end of February their country would have burnt, where they had grass, but now the scales have tipped over to enough buffel grass to keep them going.

By Tuesday afternoon Hoganthulla Creek, which ends up in the Warrego River, was 900m wide at their homestead but not threatening stock or property.

"We're looking forward to fixing a few floodgates," Mr Chiconi said.

Parts of the Aramac-Muttaburra region were on the receiving end of a cloudburst on Monday, where Dianne Giffin reported on Who Got the Rain that 80mm had fallen in Aramac in 90 minutes.

The official BoM record was 68mm.

Peter Ahern at Girrahween, 40km east of Muttaburra, said the 56mm he'd received was his best single fall in three years.

"We had 290 points in March 2018, that was it," he said.

He hoped the heavier rain this week had drowned some of the grasshopper population to give his Mitchell grass a chance to grow.

"Our Mitchell grass has been knocked by grasshoppers for the last three years - they hatched again a month ago and what grass we had has been shredded," he said.

The rain influence also lowered temperatures with the mercury six to 10 degrees lower than average in the Maranoa, Warrego and central west districts on Tuesday.

According to the BoM's Matt Marshall, the air mass that would normally sit over Victoria had been pushed up, making it colder than normal in parts of Queensland.

The bureau has issued a flood watch for central and southern interior Queensland, saying that minor to moderate flooding may develop from Wednesday.

A stationary inland trough is expected to bring more rain across the areas in question.

Localised flooding and disruption to transport routes are likely within the flood watch area.

Catchments that may be affected include the Condamine River downstream of Cecil Plains, Oakey, Myall, and Charley's Creek, the Balonne River including the Maranoa River and Bungil Creek, Wallam and Mungallala Creeks, the Warrego River, and the Upper Barcoo.

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