On Tuesday morning, there were reports that Sydney Harbour had flooded its banks at the Royal Botanical Gardens close to the Opera House. Bayview, in the city’s northern beaches, was also said to have flooded.
It was a hairy morning in the harbour with a passenger ferry also crashing into the busy Circular Quay.
Two passengers and a crew member suffered minor injuries when the Manly Fast Ferry struck a wharf. It’s not clear whether the conditions contributed to the collision, which is being investigated.
“In Queensland, the main low pressure trough has moved off the coast, meaning that the heavy rain and thunderstorms we saw on Monday have now passed,” said Mr Sharpe.
However, an upper level trough is still moving through eastern parts of the state leading to a few showers and the odd storm, possibly gusty and severe in the Wide Bay Burnett and southeast coast.
From Wednesday onwards, Queensland is expected to be far drier than the last few days with bright clear skies and highs of 32C before a few showers later in the week.
Rainmageddon may be receding into the memories of Melburnians but it’s left its mark.
Victoria’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has advised against swimming off any beaches or in the Yarra River for at least two days following the wet weather.
On Tuesday, it was announced that every one of Port Phillip Bay’s 36 beaches is now officially rated as “poor” for water quality.
“EPA advises against swimming at all waterways and beaches for up to 48 hours after heavy rain as there could be a higher risk of illness to swimmers from increased bacterial levels,” the body warned.
“Heavy rain and storms can create a risk to the public as they can flood stormwater systems that then carry pollution that has built up in the drains into waterways.”
