After months of talk about another La Niña and wet summer for Queenslanders, the rain is officially here.
Heavy rain fell across parts of regional Queensland overnight and the Bureau of Meteorology is urging residents to prepare, with storms and possible hail predicted for the rest of the week.
Over the 24 hours to 9am this morning, 118 millimetres was recorded at Kenbula, south-west of Rockhampton, 81 at Jambin, 79 in the Banana Range, 64 at Boyne Island and 59 was recorded in Rockhampton.
"There's a possibility of some severe thunderstorms which could see some really heavy rain, even the possibility of some windy conditions and some hail along with that too," The Bureau's community information officer Patch Clapp said.
He said current forecasts predicted between 40 to 70 millimetres of rain for Rockhampton tomorrow, and between 50 to 90 millimetres in Gladstone.
"But if you're under the right thunderstorm cells, that could be higher again, up around that 100-millimetre mark," Mr Clapp said.
In a statement regarding this week's weather outlook, the Bureau said widespread rain and thunderstorms were expected across Northern Australia and forecast to extend in much of Queensland this week.
Meteorologist Steven Hadley said possible heavy and intense rainfall that could lead to localised flash flooding was predicted for in the Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett regions on Thursday.
"Particularly at risk is those areas … like Rockhampton, Bundaberg, inland to Biloela" Mr Hadley said.
"To the south of that it's just going to be grey, cloudy weather, south-easterlies getting in and increasing … so it's going to be turning quite windy through tomorrow over the south-east corner of the state."
He said inland central and southern Queensland could experience isolated storms and showers, while north Queensland could also have heavy downpours and thunderstorms.
Rain brings joy for some and fear for others
Ian Groves, a fruit grower west of Yeppoon, said the rain was not welcome.
Mr Groves has been to harvest his lychee and mango crops on his Bungundarra property.
He said he hasn't had much rain overnight, but after receiving more than 350 millimetres in October, he's nervous about more heavy falls over the coming days and weeks
"We really don't want to have 300 millimetres now, that would bring the birds and the bats out to jump all over the nets of the lychee trees and test how good our nets are.
"It also downgrades the quality of mangoes while they're hanging on the trees."
Mr Groves said another summer of La Niña weather would not be not good news for farmers like him.
"The best time for rain in our sort of horticulture is late summer, February [and] March," Mr Groves said.
"That way, we've got a bulk of our summer fruits off, our lychees and mangoes are off and that's sort of more of a traditional time for rain.
"[Our] Dams are currently full from the 300 millimetres we had back in October.
"We don't really need a lot of rain. it's nice to keep the grass green but consistent heavy rain it just slows down what you're trying to do.
"I guess we just take what we get and handle the situation as best we can as we always do."
Biloela grazier Wil Barlow' said he had 70 millimetres of rain overnight, which came as a surprise. He said he had spent the morning preparing for the worst in case there was more rain to come.
"This morning [I was] bringing cattle over to this side of the creek so I can keep an eye on them and if worst comes to worst, I can bring them up to higher ground," Mr Barlow said.
"If I hadn't of gotten that rain overnight, I wouldn't have been so worried about the cattle on this side of the creek but because the country is so wet…. if you get torrential rain on it it's going to run down to the creek."
Mr Barlow said he was still excited about the season ahead, and that in his lifetime he had never seen such consistent, welcome rainfall.
"In this rural and agricultural game if the rains are not devastating it's usually money in the bank so that's something to look forward to," he said.
"We just hope that it keeps coming in in moderate falls."
Embracing a wet soggy few days
While some are anxious about the rain, herb grower Richard Fairley embraced a "wet soggy start to the day".
Mr Fairley has a property near Biloela and recorded about 38mm in the past 24 hours.
He said it was nice to enjoy the wet weather now his wheat harvest was done.
"The wheat had a lot of rain on it while we're trying to harvest. We're finished now and we're ready for this lot of rain," Mr Fairley said.
"The last few weeks we headed in and out of paddocks in between lots of rain, but it's all finished now. So it is enjoyable."
Looking ahead, Mr Fairley said he's prepared for a wet summer.
"I think December will be wet and February be wet and it will just be a matter of [the] next planting windows for summers crops."
"As long as the hail stays away, should be able to handle some good rain."
