Heavy rains soaked northeastern Australia in February and March 2012, with some areas receiving more than 1,500 millimeters (59 inches) of precipitation. This image shows rainfall, as observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), over parts of Queensland, Northern Territory, and the Gulf of Carpentaria. The date range is from February 22 to March 23, 2012.
Rainfall amounts are color coded, with the lowest amounts in blue and the highest amounts in red and purple. Rainfall is especially heavy along Queensland coastlines bordering the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Coral Sea.
On March 26, 2012, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology warned of possible continued heavy rains for northeastern Queensland, and reported that multiple rivers in the region remained under flood alert.
NASA image courtesy the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Caption by Michon Scott.