Extreme Storms

Floods · natural disasters

Heavy rain, storms and flooding – North East New South Wales and South East Queensland – 1 – 2 January 2024

· by Harley Pearman

Large parts of South East and Eastern Queensland has experienced significant thunderstorm activity since late December with clean up operations now well under way.

Another burst of rain, storms and flooding impacted the already sodden region Sunday 31 January 2023 and Monday 1 January 2024. This event has lead to renewed flooding and causing further property and infrastructure damage. Some of the rainfall totals are incredible with 24 hour daily totals approaching 400 mm and 500 mm respectively.

This event impacted large areas of Brisbane on the 1 January with the southern suburbs being worst affected. Here rainfall totals exceeded 200 mm at a small number of locations.

Some of the heaviest rainfall totals include:

To 9 am Monday 1 January 2024

 Currumbin Creek Alert – 501 mm being the heaviest total.

  • Upper Springbrook Alert – 389 mm.
  • Springbrook – 351 mm.
  • Mt Tamborine – 161 mm.

The highest totals were across the Gold Coast region especially through the hinterland region a few km inland from the coast.

This event spilled over into the adjacent border regions of New South Wales with the following totals being recorded:

  • Limpinwood (Bald Mountain) – 307 mm.
  • Numinbah – 297 mm.
  • Couchy Creek – 281 mm.
  • Brays Creeks – 259 mm.

A separate area of heavy rainfall impacted Coffs Harbour with falls of 65 to 205 mm falling. The airport weather station recorded 205 mm.

To 9 am Tuesday 2 January 2024

The southern areas of Brisbane were hard hit with falls topping 267 mm around Carbrook and 246 mm around Beenleigh.

The highest totals from the second day of the event in Queensland includes:

  • Cedar Creek – 309 mm.
  • Mt Tamborine – 252 mm.

The highest totals from the second day of the event in New South Wales includes:

  • Numinbah – 236 mm.
  • Upper Rouse River – 216 mm.
  • Couchy Creek – 211 mm.

It becomes clear that across the 2 days, Numinbah received 533 mm and Couchy Creek received 493 mm. This event has only added to the mounting damage and cleanup bill across the storm affected regions.

Heavy rain, storms and flooding South East Queensland and North East New South Wales 1 and 2 January 2024
Water and the Land Rainfall totals to 9 am Tuesday 2 January 2024 for Brisbane. The southern suburbs of the city were worst affected by this event.
Heavy rain, storms and flooding South East Queensland and North East New South Wales 1 and 2 January 2024
Weekly cumulative rainfall totals for the affected region – Week ending Friday 5 January 2024.

Attached to the post are:

  • The rainfall totals for Brisbane to 9 am Tuesday morning 2 January 2024.
  • The weekly rainfall totals for the affected region to 9 am Friday 5 January 2024. It is shown that weekly cumulative totals approached 600 mm isolated locations.

The feature image is taken at Braidwood New South Wales being a heavy rainstorm / thunderstorm approaching but it is relevant given that the affected region has been hit hard by similar events of recent days.

Open the storm map around NE NSW / SE Queensland

More storms near NE NSW / SE Queensland

Heavy Rainfall impacts Southeast Queensland and Northeast New South Wales – 17 and 18 May 2026 23 May 2026 · Gold Coast / SE Queensland A week of thunderstorms – Eastern Australia between November 8 and November 17 2024 17 Nov 2024 · Eastern Australia Queensland – A week of heavy rain / storms and floods from 28 January to 3 February 2024 3 Feb 2024 · Queensland Major thunderstorm outbreak Eastern Australia – December 24 to December 27 28 Dec 2023 · Eastern Australia Quick teaser from yesterday, after the structure shot. Taken about 2km outside of Beaudesert hand held through the window of the car…way too danger… 23 Dec 2023 · Beaudesert, QLD 26th October 2007 Daniel Shaw assisted me (yes way way back) to get footage world wide of an up close personal tornado and debris hitting a substation… 17 Jan 2023 · Dunoon, NSW Storms from South of Grafton through to Yamba with hook echo for a fair bit of a time! Not for Media Use Licensing available Call 0408020468 www… 1 Jan 2023 · Maclean, NSW May 2022 – Another wet month for some regions – Queensland and New South Wales 5 Jun 2022 · Queensland Significant rain event NSW and QLD – 9 to 13 May 2022 15 May 2022 · Queensland Significant rain potential for QLD and NSW – 9 to 15 May 2022 8 May 2022 · Queensland Further heavy rain and storms – Eastern NSW / SE QLD – 24 to 29 March 2022 26 Mar 2022 · NE NSW / SE Queensland Major rain and flooding SE Queensland / NE New South Wales 26-28 February 2022 28 Feb 2022 · Brisbane, QLD

All storm reports from NE NSW / SE Queensland →

Also on 5 January

After the storm Hail damage repair Hail dents removed from behind, factory paint kept. Hail Dent Repair. Chase with us Chase a storm for real Guided storm chasing tours in Australia and Tornado Alley. See Thunderbolt Tours.
Coming soon Radar and storm forecasting Live radar tools and severe storm forecasts from the Extreme Storms team.