A lingering monsoon low could bring a year's worth of rain in a week to parts of inland South Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales, just weeks after record-breaking heat. This could lead to a high risk of flash flooding. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for several regions, predicting heavy and intense rainfall. Places in northeastern South Australia and northwestern New South Wales are expected to receive between 200-300mm of rain over the coming days, with widespread falls of 100-200mm across inland areas. Further thunderstorms with the potential for heavy rain and flash flooding are expected in central Victoria, including Melbourne, on Tuesday. Outback towns like Marree could receive more than its average annual rainfall of 142mm. Communities like Tibooburra and areas north of Broken Hill in NSW and Birdsville in Queensland could also see significant falls. Several outback roads, including the Birdsville Track, were closed on Monday. Heavy rain and flooding are expected to cause more disruptions in the coming days, and could even isolate some communities. However, it is also filling up aquifers, rainwater tanks, and dams. Global heating, driven mainly by the burning of fossil fuels, has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
