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The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is factoring in the possibility of up to two cyclones forming in the Gulf of Carpentaria as the low-pressure system bringing rain to north-western Queensland drifts slowly northwards.
The BOM's computer modelling currently shows two different possibilities, with a "5 to 20 per cent chance" of a cyclone developing later this week.
Forecaster Doug Fraser said as the low-pressure system moved north and over the water, cyclones could form in the Gulf and Coral Sea.
"Certainly, we're looking at the monsoon flow becoming a bit more active into the middle of the week and towards the end of the week," he said.
"Because of that, the possibility of a low in the Coral Sea is also there.
"As a result also of that monsoon trough, we're expecting the rain around the Townsville region to start increasing from Wednesday — just a few showers from this afternoon and tomorrow but from Wednesday the shower activity will pick up and the possibility of thunderstorms will be around as well."
The latest figures from the BOM show Julia Creek recorded the heaviest falls in western Queensland with 127 millimetres falling in the past 24 hours.
Further east, Gregory Springs, north of Hughenden, received 155mm.
Mr Fraser said Townsville could expect more showers and thunderstorms.
"There is that potential for some reasonable falls, 50 to 100mm wouldn't be out of the question around Townsville," he said.
"Once you get to the north of Townsville up around Ingham and northwards from there, [we are] expecting a few hundred millimetres quite likely over the latter part of the week."
Jane McMillan from Corella Park Station, west of Cloncury, said roads and hundreds of kilometres of fences were destroyed when her property received 407mm of rain in two days.
"Our major damage is obviously fencing," she said.
"The boys are going to be fencing for a long time. They'll be [doing] at least two months of fencing."
Mrs McMillan said she was still waiting to hear from the Cloncury Shire Council about when the road to town would be repaired.
The road is also used by trucks accessing a nearby mine.
Mrs McMillan said it was important for people in urban centres to understand the drought was not yet over for many people.
"We've had rain but we've still got a lot of friends out at Barkly who haven't had a drop," she said.
She hoped many farmers would get a good soak from a second band of rain approaching the area.
"There's a lot of floodwater heading out onto the flats heading north, so their places are going to be inundated with water from our rain event, so hopefully they can handle that," she said.
Heavy rain is drenching the McKinlay Shire, east of Mt Isa, as the low-pressure system starts to head north.
Mayor Belinda Murphy said they had received decent but patchy falls.
"It's actually quite heavy and quite steady," she said.
"I know in town we've recorded well over 120mm and then with what we're having now."
"I suppose the thing I'm really aware of is not everyone has got this. Up until yesterday, the southern part of our shire had probably only had sort of 10-15mm, so I've heard reports now they've had up over 40mm over the past 24 hours, which is fantastic.
"We live right on the edge of Julia Creek and our paddock is starting to flood — it connects into Julia Creek which is wonderful to see. I haven't seen that for quite a few years now."
Further south, graziers from Winton and Barcaldine in the state's central-west have been overjoyed to see heavier rainfall, as the drought rolls into its fifth year in the region.
Winton received falls of about 104mm from Saturday to Monday morning, with the town expecting further heavy falls and possible storms.
John Payne from Daintree Station in Winton said it would be interesting to see what happened when the sun came out again.
"Up until Saturday we'd only had 25mm for the year, so we were feeling a bit hard done by," he said.
"But this has turned it all around. I think it will do a lot of good, you know we'll go into winter with plenty of soil moisture.
"I can't imagine that there will be much germination happening, but the old established pasture should kick away."
Topics: cyclone, storm-event, drought, floods, weather, mount-isa-4825, longreach-4730, townsville-4810, cairns-4870, brisbane-4000, qld
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