The deluge comes at a time when experts declared the presence of an El Niño weather event, typically associated with drier and warmer conditions.

Up north, enormous volumes of rain followed Tropical Cyclone Jasper resulting in flooding across Far North Queensland throughout mid-December.

During the Christmas period, the east coast was ravaged by severe storms with heavy rainfall affecting the Gold Coast, Scenic Rim and Logan regions.

Then, most recently, Tropical Cyclone Kirrily made landfall north of Townsville and caused another deluge in the south east and across the north west of the State.

These wet weather events have left many Queenslanders wondering, what happened to El Niño and the predicted dry summer?

We interviewed Channel Seven’s meteorologist Tony Auden to help explain why we have had a wetter summer than expected.

“While El Niño was declared by international agencies in the middle of last year, the Bureau of Meteorology held off until September. This is because the current El Niño looks and feels very different to any that have come before it,” Mr Auden said.

“A normal El Niño sees a pool of warm water develop in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, with colder water near Australia. This sets up an atmospheric circulation that brings rain to the Americas, and normally starves Australia of moisture.

“This year, the global climate and oceans have heated up significantly, mainly due to climate change, and the developing El Niño itself. This has meant that while the water is warmest well out in the Pacific, our normally cooler water is still warmer than average.

“So, after Australia's driest September and October on record, something had to give. Since then Queensland has been battered by severe storms, cyclones Jasper and Kirrily, and extreme rain events.

“While other factors can contribute, these warm oceans are likely the main culprit behind our super-charged summer. And we've all felt that extra heat and humidity!”

Mr Auden urged Queenslanders to prepare for more severe weather before the season is over.

“The severe weather season in Queensland normally extends into the start of Autumn, while the cyclone season runs through April,” he said.

“Queenslanders need to be prepared for more potential extreme weather events in coming weeks.”

RACQ’s Manager Technical Claims and Event Matt Jarrett said while the weather had been wetter than predicted, RACQ was well-prepared to manage any peril.

“While we had expected the El Niño climate driver to deliver a drier summer, we knew Queensland’s weather is extremely unpredictable and were ready for any type of event,” Mr Jarrett said.

“It was unusual to have a cyclone so early in the season, with Jasper hitting in mid-December, but RACQ was quick to respond across its Insurance, Roadside Assistance and Bank businesses, ensuring our members were well supported.

“Throughout December, RACQ received 10,039 insurance claims relating to severe weather events, and at this stage, we have finalised 31% of these claims.

“RACQ has also received 396 insurance claims related to Cyclone Kirrily and 558 from the flooding in SEQ, and our teams are continuing to support members who were impacted by these events.

“We’re working closely with our building partners to progress claims as quickly and efficiently as possible. There’s still a way to go, but we’ll be here through to the end.”

For information about how to prepare for severe weather and what to do in the aftermath or to lodge a claim, visit RACQ’s Storm Hub.