Rain - how quickly things can change ...

No major increase in the dams surrounding Toowoomba as yet, but how quickly things can change after a little rain:

Wild Australian summer returns
January 18, 2006

WELCOME back to a typical Australian summer.

After three of the driest and warmest years on record we've forgotten what it is like to live through summer in Australia - hot and humid days building to thunderstorms, hail and cyclones.

Last year was the warmest since records began in 1910 with a mean temperature of 22.89C. Rainfall was below normal with an average of 399mm falling nationwide - almost 100mm less than the average.

This year, the rainfall in January has been widespread and above average. The first cyclone of the season has hit and another one is brewing, and Western Australia and New South Wales are suffering their worst floods on record.

"This is a marked contrast to last summer," the Bureau of Meteorology's John Cramb said last night. "It's not unprecedented but it is a little unusual."

Farmers at Lake Grace, in Western Australia's wheatbelt, took to jetskis and tinnies to rescue hundreds of sheep stranded by floodwaters caused by Cyclone Clare last week.

On the east coast of the country, 53mm of rain fell on Noosa in just 18 minutes last week, flooding streets and properties.

And in drought-stricken Goulburn on Monday, a large dump of more than 120mm resulted in flash floods through the town's streets. "There were floodwaters flowing down through town. They got a great dumping," farmer Angus Gibson said.

The bureau says the east coast downpours will continue for at least a further two days with storms today and rain tapering off by Friday.

Unfortunately, the heavy rains across the nation have not hit all the catchment areas for all the major cities.

Western Australia's dams are only 39 per cent full, unaffected by the heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Clare.

Southeast Queensland's Wivenhoe Dam is at 33.9 per cent yesterday, the Somerset Dam is at 32.9 per cent and the North Pine Dam is at 34.8 per cent.

Despite the heavy rains in Goulburn, the Pejar dam was almost empty yesterday, rising from 6 to 7 per cent capacity.

But heavy rainfalls over Sydney's catchment areas appear to have hit the mark.

Sydney Catchment Authority spokeswoman Debbie Low said if the rain continued for a further four days dams could reach 70 per cent capacity, up from the current 40 per cent. "At that level, there is the possibility of relaxing the restrictions."

See - Rain could wreck Mayor's plans.