Minor flooding has forced some St Helens businesses to shut their doors as heavy rain continues to hammer eastern Tasmania.
The Hillcrest Tourist Park was among the businesses closed, while the local bakery had to sandbag the rear of its property after several inches of water crept inside.
The State Emergency Service has already received five requests for assistance in the area relating to water entering premises.
St Helens has recorded 61mm of rain since 9am, as of 6:30pm.
Forecasters are warning minor flooding is possible at Lewis Hill along the St Pauls River from this evening and along the South Esk River at Fingal from Thursday morning, after moderate to heavy rainfall over the South Esk River catchment.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kate Doyle said Gray, south of St Marys, recorded 72.6mm in the 24 hours to 9am this morning, the standout total across the state.
Nugent near Sorell picked up 58.4mm, Longley south of Kingston had 56.2mm and Fern Tree at the foot of kunanyi/Mount Wellington recorded 55.8mm.
The mountain itself came in at 53.4mm.
“Certainly some big numbers across much of the east of Tasmania to 9am and we of course are continuing to see the rainfall,” Doyle told Pulse.
She said the rain was being driven by a low-pressure system over the south-east mainland, extending a trough south over Tasmania and dragging very moist air across the state.
A weaker low that developed in Bass Strait was also tapping into that moisture, bringing solid rainfall to the north-east and east coast.
Conditions should start easing from Thursday morning as the low weakens and the trough carrying tropical moisture shifts east, with further improvement expected heading into Friday.
