Special Climate Statement 69—an extended period of heavy rainfall and flooding in tropical Queensland - Australian Government
An unusual, extended period of heavy rainfall over large areas of tropical Queensland began in late January 2019 and continued into February. The heavy rainfall was associated with an intense and very slow-moving monsoon low over northern Queensland that continued to affect Queensland until 9 February. While such slow-moving systems are relatively rare for this part of the country, there are a number in the historical record and they are all associated with extreme rainfall totals. The large size of monsoon lows means the areas they impact may be larger than tropical cyclones.
An unusual, extended period of heavy rainfall over large areas of tropical Queensland began in late January 2019 and continued into February. The heavy rainfall was associated with an intense and very slow-moving monsoon low over northern Queensland that continued to affect Queensland until 9 February. While such slow-moving systems are relatively rare for this part of the country, there are a number in the historical record and they are all associated with extreme rainfall totals. The large size of monsoon lows means the areas they impact may be larger than tropical cyclones.