Queensland Flooding – Satellite Images

Fitzroy Basin Flooding – Satellite Images

Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (5 MB, JPEG)

Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (5 MB, JPEG)

Images of Fitzroy Basin rivers in Australia’s state of Queensland captured by MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite.  Top image was taken on January 4, 2011 and the lower image on December 14, 2010. The contrast between the two images is striking. The true-color images were taken with infrared light to accentuate the presence of water on the ground.  Source: NASA-EO.

False-color image of Rockhampton and surrounding area acquired by ASTER on NASA’s Terra satellite on January 5, 2011. The top image is a close-up. ” Vegetation is red. Clouds are light blue and cast shadows onto the land surface below. Buildings appear as isolated patches of gray-blue within the grid pattern of the city streets. Water, including floodwater, ranges in color from medium blue to light blue.” Source: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (6 MB, JPEG).

Heavy flooding in Queensland is sending large volumes of turbid, nutrient-replete water toward Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This is not good news for the already stressed ecosystem which needs — among other factors — clear water and low nutrient concentrations to thrive. The above plume from the Burdekin River was viewed by the Aqua-MODIS instrument on January 4, 2011. The broader version of the image shows similar outflow from other rivers in the region such as the Fitzroy farther south. Image and caption: NASA. Click image to enlarge.

FLOOD WARNING FOR THE FITZROY RIVER BASIN

IDQ20765 – Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology – Queensland
Issued at 7:02 AM on Thursday the 6th of January 2011 by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane.

Major flooding continues along the Dawson, Comet, Mackenzie and Fitzroy Rivers.

The Fitzroy River at Rockhampton has remained steady at about 9.15 metres overnight following yesterday’s peak of 9.2 metres.  Levels will fall very slowly on Thursday and Friday with very little change. Rockhampton river levels are expected to remain above 8.5 metres (major) until late next week.

CONNORS/ISAAC RIVER SYSTEM:
Moderate flooding continues to ease on the Isaac River at Yatton.

COMET RIVER:
Major flooding will continue to ease along the Comet River into the weekend.

MACKENZIE RIVER:
Moderate to major flooding is occurring along the Mackenzie River, where the main flood peak is now downstream of Tartrus. levels will fall gradually between the Comet confluence and Tartrus.

DAWSON RIVER:
Rainfall overnight is expected to lead to renewed rises along the Dawson River. Moderate flood levels are expected at Taroom during Friday extending to the Glebe area during the weekend. Downstream at Theodore, Moura and Baralaba, levels will continue to fall into the weekend before renewed rises and minor, possibly moderate flooding during next week but will remain well below the recent high level flood peaks.

Queensland Warnings Summary

• Severe Weather Warning 1,
• Flood Warning – Burdekin River,
• Flood Warning – Fitzroy River,
• Flood Warning – Lockyer, Bremer, Warrill & Brisbane below Wivenhoe.,
• Flood Warning – Condamine-Balonne Rivers,
• Flood Warning – Macintyre/Weir,
• Flood Warning – Moonie River,
• Flood Warning – Thomson/Barcoo/Cooper Ck,
• Flood Warning – Gulf Rivers,
• Queensland flood warning summary.

• Tropical Cyclone Warnings and Information

Related Links:

• Australia: More Severe Weather Looms
• Mosquitoes Plague Flooded Rockhampton
• Queensland Flood Update – 3 Jan 2011

• Nature’s DoS Attack on Australia
• Queensland Flooding: Disaster of “Biblical Proportions”
• Australia Flood Update
• Thousands of Australians Evacuate Flood-hit Queensland