Two strong tropical weather systems continue to dominate Australia’s weather on the last day of 2025.
Queensland’s deluge continues, with totals for the ongoing severe rainfall event topping a metre at three locations.
Meanwhile rain from ex-Tropical Cyclone Hayley has pushed inland to the southern parts of Western Australia's Kimberley region and to the nearby Northern Interior forecast district.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Hayley
After reaching category 4 strength out at sea, with maximum sustained winds estimated to be 165km/h, gusting to 230km/h, Hayley made landfall as a severe category 3 cyclone around 5pm (AWST) on Tuesday evening near Cape Leveque, the northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula in WA’s Kimberley region.
The strongest wind gust recorded at landfall was 158 km/h just after 6pm on Tuesday at Lombadina on the Dampier Peninsula, while nearby Yampi Sound recorded a 137 km/h gust in the early hours of Wednesday, December 31.
Lombadina and Yampi Sound also both registered the highest 24-hour rainfall totals as the cyclone moved inland and quickly downgraded to a tropical low, with 131.8mm and 125.8mm respectively.
While rain continues this Wednesday in inland areas, totals will likely fall far short of what coastal areas received as dry air wraps around the tropical low, sapping the available moisture.
Queensland monsoonal rain
As mentioned, three Queensland weather stations have now received more than a metre (1000mm) of rain from the ongoing monsoonal deluge, as of 9am Wednesday. They are:
Bingil Bay 1114.2mm (last four days 405.6mm, 344.6mm, 245.2mm, 118.8mm)
South Mission Beach 1048 mm (last four days 252mm, 312mm, 369mm, 115mm)
Cowley Beach 1037mm (last four days 413.2mm, 362.4mm, 221mm, 40.4mm)
These three locations are all located on the coastline around 90 minutes to two hours south of Cairns on Queensland’s North Tropical coast.
But as mentioned in our recent stories, record-breaking rain has also fallen inland as part of the same broad-scale low pressure system – including in Queensland’s Gulf Country, North West, and Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders forecast districts.
For example:
Julia Creek in the North West has had 551.4mm of rainfall this month to 9am Wednesday. That's nearly double the total of the old record of 290.6mm in December 1956.
Cloncurry in the North West has received 476.2mm for the month to 9am Wednesday. The old December monthly record was 346.8mm, in data going back to 1906.
The good news for graziers whose stock have been impacted by flooding in Queensland’s interior is that the heaviest rain will contact east and north in coming days.
Parts of Queensland's North Tropical Coast could see a further 400 to 800mm between Wednesday and the start of next week, which could potentially take totals from this event close to two metres of rainfall.
For perspective, Brisbane’s annual rainfall is just over a metre (1054.8mm).
Please check the Weatherzone warnings page for the latest flood and severe weather information.