Heavy rain continues to soak south-east, with flash flooding possible

A low-pressure system that drenched northern parts of Queensland over the weekend is set to bring more heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding to the south-east on Monday.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said northern parts of the south-east would be the “focal point” for heavy rain into Monday evening, with isolated falls up to 170 millimetres possible on the Sunshine Coast.

“We’ll be looking at the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Gympie, Kingaroy, up towards Maryborough and Bundaberg,” he said.

“That’s likely to be ... staying very wet across that area into Monday.”

Hines said some of the heaviest rain would fall on Monday night and early Tuesday, before the low-pressure system would sweep off the coast.

Brisbane City Council encouraged residents to monitor the bureau’s website and prepare for severe weather, with sandbags available from five locations across the city at any time.

On the southside, residents can pick them up from 9 Redfern Street in Morningside, Herbert Street in Lota, and 38 Shamrock Road in Darra. On the northside, they’re available at 66 Wilston Road in Newmarket, and 33 Jennings Street in Zillmere.

“Hopefully by the time people are getting out of bed on Tuesday morning, or by the middle of the day, we should be saying that the worst of the rain is over,” Hines said.

As of Sunday afternoon, heavy intense rainfall warnings were in place for Wide Bay and Burnett and parts of Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, the north-west, Central Highlands and Coalfields, central-west, Capricornia, Maranoa and Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and south-east coast forecast districts.

Various flood watches and warnings were in place across Queensland, with heavy rainfall likely to cause further flooding in some regions.

On Sunday morning, Sardine Creek in the Central Highlands had recorded close to 150 millimetres, while Miles in the Darling Downs saw 131 millimetres.

“Those have been our highest observations,” Hines said.

As of Sunday afternoon, the bureau predicted six-hourly rainfall totals between 70 and 120 millimetres were likely in the south-east, with isolated totals of about 180 millimetres possible. Twenty-four-hourly totals between 80 and 140 millimetres were likely, with isolated totals of about 250mm possible.

A cyclone watch from Cooktown to Palm Island was cancelled on Thursday. Tropical low 29U crossed the coast on Friday, bringing heavy rain and flooding across north and north-west Queensland.

More than 30 people were rescued from a bus that became stranded in floodwaters in the Gladstone area on Saturday, while several others were rescued from cars or after abandoning their vehicle.

Heavy rain and flooding will continue in the north this morning, easing throughout the afternoon and Monday.

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