The Queensland Government was given advance warning of a wetter than average summer, the state’s inquiry into the recent flood disasters has heard.

Counsel assisting the commission of inquiry, Peter Callaghan, told the hearing the Bureau of Meteorology Regional Director Jim Davidson informed the government of a La Nina weather event “that was not a run-of-the-mill La Nina”.

“He indicated with some degree of confidence that it would be an active cyclone season and that there would be a continuation of the above-average rains which had already saturated catchments,” he said.

Mr Davidson told the hearing in Brisbane there were several reasons for alerting the Government.

“The La Nina was already at that stage in October quite strong, and the indicators that we use were approaching record levels,” he said. “At that stage record sea surface temperatures [were] surrounding northern Australia.

“On top of that we had our statistical three-month rainfall outlooks which reinforced that message – that we were in for a very busy season.”

Water Utilities Minister Stephen Robertson told the commission he requested warning notices to be sent to various government departments, but didn’t seek any advice on what the appropriate dam levels should be during a La Nina event.

The Government did consider lowering the level of the Wivenhoe Dam, but decided to leave it in the hands of the experts after being advised that a “pre-emptive release of this scale would provide negligible benefit”.

The inquiry is continuing this week in Toowoomba and Dalby.