The clean up continues after Canberra recorded a month's worth of rain on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sports grounds will be closed this weekend and people are being advised not to use water downstream from the wastewater treatment plant after partially treated effluent has been discharged into the Molonglo River
In the 22 hours from 9am on Thursday to 7am on Friday, Canberra saw 43.8 millimetres of rain. Tuggeranong seems to have got the biggest drenching with 57.2 millimetres.
Partially treated effluent has been discharged into the Molonglo River because the sewerage system was overwhelmed by the rain, according to Icon Water.
"Some discharges of partially treated effluent may still occur over the coming days as we continue to process the inflow following the rainfall across the Canberra region over the last few days," a statement said.
It said that "the proportion of partially treated effluent released into the river system represents around 0.3 per cent of the Murrumbidgee River flow".
But people were advised not to draw water from the river from the junction of the Molonglo River and above Burrinjuck Reservoir.
Separately, the ACT government has decided that grass sports pitches (apart from synthetic ones and the Woden athletics track) will remain closed over the weekend.
"The decision has been taken in order to minimise damage to turf surfaces after recent rainfall and residual moisture content," a statement said.
Officials will inspect the turf again on Monday.
But overall the weather is clearing up.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gabrielle Woodhouse said the ACT would see a light shower or two on Friday as the chance of rainfall decreased further over the weekend. It came after the city was deluged following a spectacular thunderstorm over Canberra on Thursday.
"Once we get to the weekend, the risk of those showers starts to decrease and winds also lighten," she said.
The big dry-out continued on Friday, with the Emergency Services Agency reporting some incidents of storm damage hanging over from Thursday. They were mostly in the north of the ACT.
But the forecast is for clearer skies and chillier weather.
"By Monday we're looking at partly cloudy skies, the possibility of seeing some morning fog around and minimum temperatures bent back towards zero and maximum temperatures around 13 degrees," forecaster Gabrielle Woodhouse said.
Wind gust speeds which reached up to 60km/h on Thursday are also forecast to lighten to 25 to 35 km/h over the coming day.
A Severe Weather Warning was issued for the territory on Thursday morning. Canberra Airport recorded around 40mm for the day.
The ACT SES received more than 120 requests for assistance from the Canberra community since storms hit the region on Wednesday night.
Many incidents related to leaking roofs and water inundation, with crews also attending to a small number of trees down in Canberra's suburbs. Saturated soil can mean an increase in falling trees and branches.
Emergency services also attended a multitude of other incidents across Canberra, from power disruption in Bonner in the north to storm damage in Isabella Plains in the south to flood damage in the west.
READ ALSO:
There were fears of flooding of the Queanbeyan river, and forecasters warned of "ponding" on roads as heavy, sudden downpours failed to clear quickly from tarmac.
The Oaks Estate crossing of the Molonglo River was closed just before noon on Thursday.
Other closures included: Coppins crossing, Uriarra crossing and Point Hut crossing.
Sports grounds were closed apart from synthetic surfaces and the Woden athletics track to, as the ACT government put it, "minimise damage to turf surfaces and in the interests of public safety after heavy rainfall overnight and expected during the course of the day". They will be assessed again on Friday to see if they can be used on the weekend.
And the Mitchell drive-through COVID testing centre was closed because of the terrible weather and then reopened just before noon.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, by just before dawn on Thursday, Canberra had received 13.8 millimetres of rain since 9am on Wednesday.
But the heaviest downpours were on the higher ground.
At Thredbo and Perisher, around 50 millimetres fell. Temperatures stayed well above freezing in both. In Canberra, it sank to 9.8 degrees just after midnight.
Emergency services advised Canberrans to:
- Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
- Secure or put away loose items around your house.
- Keep at least eight metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences.
- Trees that have been damaged by fire are likely to be more unstable and more likely to fall.
- Don't drive, ride or walk through flood water.
- Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Hannah Neale
Hannah is a reporter with The Canberra Times. She is currently covering ACT courts. Hannah started as a journalist with The Southern Highland News and The Goulburn Post before moving to the ACT.
Hannah is a reporter with The Canberra Times. She is currently covering ACT courts. Hannah started as a journalist with The Southern Highland News and The Goulburn Post before moving to the ACT.
