Drought-hit parts of central Queensland are finally getting a drenching with rainfall expected to continue into the New Year.
It's not known yet how the floodwaters will feed into the northern NSW river systems.
The monsoonal rain led to a rescue yesterday near Mt Isa with friends walking 12 hours to get a rescue helicopter to a stranded father and son.
Many rivers have flood alerts in central Queensland, all at minor level at this stage, but the rain has been patchy with some places getting just 5mm, while nearby there was over 100mm.
The North West Star reported that a RACQ helicopter rescued a "10-year-old boy and his father from floodwaters in north-west Queensland, after their companions walked for twelve hours, to raise the alarm."
"The group's ute became bogged in floodwaters, west of Mount Isa, Sunday evening, December 27. Just before last light, the crew located the man and child sitting on the roof of a vehicle and landed the helicopter on a dry patch of land nearby."
Sally Gall from Queensland Country Life reported on flooding near Barcaldine.
"Barcaldine mayor Sean Dillon is urging post-Christmas travellers to restrict travel in his region in the wake of good storm rain in parts, which has closed roads and caused flash flooding.
"Since December 23, some parts of the Alpha region have received more than 120mm, while around Muttaburra there have been reports of 50mm and more in the past 24 hours.
"Muttaburra publican Sue Wyton, a born and bred local, said while the small town situated between Longreach and Hughenden was about to be completely cut off by floodwater and boggy roads, locals were enjoying the spectacle of the rivers rising.
"'There was big rain further north - places like Birracania had well over 100mm and at Muttaburra we've had around 105mm since the rain event started on Tuesday," she said.
"It comes in and rains in sheets, then the sun comes out for a bit before it starts again.
"But it's not going everywhere - some have only had 4mm.'"
Meantime in NSW, rain totals were still piling up after storms continued through much of central and northern NSW.
Check out this lenticular cloud over Lake Eucumbene, Snowy Mountains:
Some of the top falls up to 9am Tuesday were Dubbo 29mm, Trangie 39mm, Mudgee 36mm and Coonamble 19mm.
Severe thunderstorms were possible again in many areas on Tuesday.
And here's your New Year's weather report from the BOM:
Tamworth had more heavy rain, putting it on track to have the most December rain on record, The Land's Billy Jupp reported.
