Key facts to ponder before heading to Brisbane

Australia is recording its third-wettest year and the worst flood ever in the last decade in Queensland’s city of Brisbane, according to the state emergency weather services.

Tourism has been affected, infrastructures have incurred damages, roads have got limited access and the rail has been shut. There seems no way out after flying to the city. While environmentalists fear destruction of marine life and the Great Barrier Reef due to floods, here’s a fact sheet about traveling in Queensland, weather condition, information on operational airports and affected areas to avoid while in Brisbane, the third largest city of Australia.

Weather

The Brisbane floods have been reportedly caused due La Niña, an ocean atmospheric phenomenon in the Pacific in which sea surface temperature is lower than normal, known to have catastrophic impact on the weather along Australian coasts. With two more months of the wet season left, more fresh floods in the weeks ahead are likely.

Areas to avoid

According to Tourism Queensland, state’s official tourism agency, flooding has limited access to parts of Brisbane and a few more regions of Queensland:

• Goondiwindi – A small ton west of Brisbane is on high alert. The Macintyre River is flooding and weather emergency department fears the river could flood the town.
• The Outback
• Southern Downs and Granite Belt
• Toowoomba and Darling Downs
• Western Downs
• South Burnett
• Lockyer Valley
• Condamine
• Dalby
• Texas

Operational tourist spots

Tourism Queensland cites a few spots mainly beaches, island resorts, hotels tours and attractions in Queensland that are currently open but flooding has affected road access in some of these areas:

• Gold Coast
• Whitsundays
• Mackay
• Townsville
• Tropical North Queensland
• Sunshine Coast
• Fraser Coast
• Bargara beaches
• Lady Elliot Island
• Lady Musgrave Island

Cities unaffected from floods

• Tamworth - According to a spokesperson from the NSW State Emergency Service, there is no flooding in Tamworth, the host city for Country Music Festival.
• Sydney - The roads from Sydney are open

Functional airports

All major international and regional airports are operational, except the Rockhampton Airport.