BRISBANE and Ipswich will flood tomorrow and Tuesday - but levels will be much lower than in the devastating 2011 floods, Premier Campbell Newman says.
This story will be continually updated throughout the day. Keep checking for updates. If you have pictures, MMS them to 0428 258 117 or email them.
We have a gallery of flood and wild weather photos here.
For an at-a-glance wild weather round-up, click here.
9.16pm:
Residents on Nicholas St and Cullen St, near Enoggera Creek, in Brisbane's north, have also been evacuated after rising waters began lapping at the entrances to their properties early this evening.
Jane Hancock, who was helping her mother to move out of the family's Nicholas St property, said dozens of houses throughout the area had been evacuated.
Brisbane's Kedron Brook floods as an extreme downpour takes water levels to their highest in a decade.
"I'm taking my mum over to our house in Wilston, right at the top of the hill, then we'll get the dog dry and make sure mum's OK and provide assistance to our friends if they need it," she said.
Mother Judith Hancock said the water had risen "very quickly", coming up within the space of an hour.
"I was outside emptying a cupboard and you could watch the water rise up your legs, it was that quick," she said.
But she said she did not think the floodwaters would enter her house, and was just leaving as a precaution.
Neighbour Keith Reimers said they had moved most of their belongings up off the bottom level of their house, which would likely be flooded.
QLD Premier Campbell Newman says army is on stand by and Bundaberg should prepare for worse flooding than 2010-2011
"We are helping some people move, but there's a few cars stuck there. It just comes up so quickly," he said.
Police have blocked off roads throughout Brisbane's inner north.
Police are also investigating reports of a man who was seen being swept into floodwaters at Kedron Brook, Ferny Grove, at 4:40pm.
The man was seen disappearing into water at Dawson Parade.
Anyone with information should contact Police Link.
More from the heavy rain and strong winds in southeast Queensland as wild weather hits the Wynnum foreshore. Vision: Wynnum Herald.
8.33pm:
Four people were rescued from an Ashgrove property after a torrent of water trapped them in their home on Mossvale St, in Brisbane's inner west.
Police said the street was evacuated early in the evening, but residents of the house decided to stay behind.
Later the residents became concerned by the rising water and called for assistance, with police and Queensland Fire and Rescue Service swiftwater rescue teams attending and using a rescue boat to ferry the residents out.
Alex Mellor, 32, who was rescued in the incident, said they had not expected the water to rise as high as it did, and as the evening wore on he began to think it had been a "huge mistake" to stay in the house.
Boat ramp at Victoria Point. Picture: Supplied
"We only got a bit worried towards about 6pm when the water started rising a little bit fast. I think it might have been the highest it's ever been down there," he said.
Mr Mellor said although they had been quite comfortable in the house, the rising water was a concern and they called for help rather than risking staying in the property.
"Everyone's been really fantastic - I'm just glad to be out," he said.
Meanwhile, commuters on central train lines are experiencing major delays with reports of powerlines on the train tracks.
A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said the delays are expected for several hours.
A flooded property at Lowmead north of Bundaberg. It later disappeared under floodwaters. PIC: Supplied
Citycats and ferries on the Brisbane River have also been cancelled until further notice.
Over 133,000 homes are currently without power in the southeast with Energex expecting most to be out until some time tomorrow.
8.10pm:
Windows were being blown out of Surfers Paradise highrises on the Gold Coast by 80km/h winds.
Emergency crews were also trying to rescue a woman trapped in her car by fallen power lines at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast.
6.45pm:
Enoggera Creek has broken its banks at Northey St, Windsor, in Brisbane's inner north, and the surrounding area is filling with rapidly rising water.
This Facebook image was taken from the north side of flooded Baffle Creek north of Bundaberg. PIC: Facebook
Residents of Cullen St, where water has reached waist deep levels in the past few hours, have begun moving their belongings out of their homes and wading to safety.
Resident Melanie Doyle said the rate of the rising water was unsettling, and residents had begun to evacuate ahead of a further rise expected later tonight.
Other residents said they had lived in the neighbourhood for around 15 years and it was only recently the area had been inundated in this way.
5.58pm:
Premier Campbell Newman has told a press conference flooding will occur along the Brisbane River and in the Bremer River which runs through Ipswich on Monday night and Tuesday night.
He said the flooding was predicted to be much less than the devastating 2011 floods.
A fallen tree at a property owned by Rita and Henry Bollier in Fern Gully Place, Mooloolah. PIC: Glenn Barnes
He warned residents to be prepared and said residents should check flood maps which would be released on council floods maps at http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/ and http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/ later tonight.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Cr Graham Quirk said modelling indicated that the amount of water coming in from the west would result in flooding in the Brisbane River.
If current projections play out, 3600 residential properties will be affected in Brisbane,Cr Quirk said.
He said of those 2100 were unit dwellings, where the ground floor might be flood but upper levels would not.
"There would also be 1500 detached homes that would be impacted if that scenario were to occur," Mr Quirk said.
Edit of Sky report on Gladstone waterways, floods and roads after a night of Queensland storms
He said 1250 business properties would also be affected in Brisbane.
"This is not 2011. It is a much lesser event," Mr Quirk said.
Moggill would be the first suburb of Brisbane to experience flooding, from tomorrow night, said Cr Quirk.
The CBD is not expected to be hit, but Rosalie and Milton were in the firing line again, said the Lord Mayor.
"Creek flooding again with the intensity of the rainfall we're having today is also a very significant and immediate proposition out there," he said.
This image from Hervey Bay blogger Deborah Cook, of debbish.com, shows wild conditions at Urangan.
"I'm getting reports of a number of our creeks reaching capacity so again this is a double whammy this time compared to 2011."
Residents in Laidley and Grantham have been placed on emergency alert and are being encouraged to self evacuate.
Mr Newman said: "The peak of any flood will occur in Ipswich we believe around midnight tomorrow (Monday) night."
"Similarly the peak at the western side of the Brisbane City Council boundary will be about midnight on Monday night."
He said the worst of the projected flooding would be seen in the heart of Brisbane around noon on Tuesday, with another peak expected at noon on Wednesday.
A fallen tree and pavers washed out of the footpath by the force of the waves on the waterfront at Urangan in Hervey Bay. PIC: Deborah Cook/debbish.com
"The flood levels projected will be much lower that what we saw in 2011," the premier told reporters on Sunday afternoon.
Brisbane is expecting a 2.6m flood peak, nearly half of the 4.46m peak in 2011.
The Ipswich peak is expected to be five metres less than the 19.4m in 2011.
"There will be flooding but the flooding is much much lower than what we saw in 2011," he said.
Mr Newman said the projections were based on the best scientific modelling by forecasters.
A badly damaged house and downed power lines are seen after a tornado ripped through Bargara on Queensland's coast. YouTube/nikkogsxr
He said the projections may not eventuate, but authorities had a duty to share the information so residents of both cities could be as prepared as possible.
4.41pm:
As well as extensive flooding in Gladstone and Bundaberg, Mr Newman said he expected Maryborough to flood, and Gympie too.
Evacuations were under way in Bundaberg North and East, and two Australian Defence Force helicopters had been deployed to assist in the area, said the Premier.
"We expect overall about 300 homes and 100 businesses to be inundated in Bundaberg," Mr Newman said.
"There is a man missing near Gympie after being swept away at Widgee Creek. Two others were rescued after being swept away at the same time.
Raw vision from Channel Ten shows the impact of wild storms and a tornado near Bundaberg on Queensland's coast.
"(In the Maryborough area) Emergency Services are searching for a young woman who reportedly drove into floodwaters at Pacific Haven this morning and we have grave fears for her safety."
Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed the recovery of the body of an elderly man, from floodwaters at Burnett Heads.
On the Sunshine Coast, Mr Newman said they had seen very strong winds at Mooloolaba and Kin Kin was isolated.
In Brisbane, the Premier said high tides would "potentially cause backing up of creek, and low lying areas on the bayside would see inundation".
"Again I stress, there is a very great threat right across south-east Queensland from these local creeks," Mr Newman said.
Bargara shopping centre after the tornado. Picture: Sabrina Lauriston
In the Gold Coast-Lockyer Valley region, Mr Newman said heavier rainfall and winds of 130km/h were expected.
"Mayor Tom Tate and his team are gearing up to deal with potential flooding on the Nerang River and low lying areas of the Gold Coast," he said.
Kilcoy and Esk were among the towns isolated, along with Gin Gin, Childers and Kin Kin.
Rob Webb from the Bureau of Meteorology said they were working on modelling figures for the Brisbane and Bremer Rivers for local disaster management groups.
"We do feel with the system slipping south, there is every chance it will move down to New South Wales by tomorrow, and that we should be in an easing trend," Mr Webb said.
DAMAGE in Bargara after a tornado struck on Saturday. Pic: Ergon Facebook
"The good news as well, is we don't see any follow up systems in the next week or so, so after this rain clears we should be able to track these floodwaters down."
Mr Newman said it was likely SEQWater would increase the outflows from Wivenhoe and North Pine in coming days, as more water flowed into the dams from flooded catchment areas.
"Clearly we don't have water supply problems right now, so we've said (to SEQWater) we have no issues (with water releases), we have no problems with downstream road crossings being blocked by floodwaters," he said.
The Premier also repeated warnings to people to stay out of floodwaters, and limit any travel in the region until the weather eases.
He said an announcement would be made soon on a State Government flood appeal, to assist those people who have lost homes and property.
4:19pm:
A fallen tree trapped four Lutwyche Road residents inside their second-floor home until rescue workers carved a path for their escape.
Alessia Zuccarini, 20, screamed to 23-year-old housemate Edwin Rojas for help as the tree nearly crashed through the front room of their home after midday.
"I was really scared," Ms Zuccarini said.
Rescue workers, alerted by a neighbour, arrived to cut enough branches to allow the young people out.
Ms Zuccarini, a kitchen worker who has only been living in Brisbane for 10 months, said she had never seen weather wild enough to uproot a tree.
Two other housemates also were temporarily trapped. No one was injured.
Mr Rojas, an English student at Kaplan International College in Brisbane, said he was lucky not to be coming up the steps of the unit when the tree fell.
It was also fortunate the tree stopped just short of ripping through the front of the house, although branches were bent right up against the windows.
"This is the first time I've been through something like this," Mr Rojas said.
The tree and metres of plastic warning tape continued to block the footpath across the road from Lutwyche Shopping Centre, forcing pedestrians to walk into the busy motorway or detour well away.
The housemates will have to wiggle their way outside until Brisbane City Council arranges to have the tree removed.
4:12pm:
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged Queenslanders to stay updated and heed warnings about the floods spreading across the state.
"Thoughts of the nation are with people of Qld, who are battling a new round of natural disasters," the prime minister wrote on Twitter.
"Please listen to local warnings, keep updated on developments and take care."
Earlier, Treasurer Wayne Swan promised Queensland would get whatever defence force support it needed to deal with the disaster.
He said the activation of the Commonwealth Disaster Plan meant defence assets and personnel could be called on when needed.
Soldiers stood ready to be deployed and two Blackhawk helicopters were already en route from Townsville to the flood-hit city of Bundaberg to assist authorities, the treasurer said.
3:59pm:
Brisbane's Kedron Brook at its highest in a decade, locals report.
3:42pm:
Towns in the Lockyer Valley are on alert for rises in water levels, with flooding already occurring in the town of Grantham, which was devastated by flash flooding in 2011.
Lockyer Valley Regional Council mayor Steve Jones said the region had received "plenty of water", and although there had been no evacuations, authorities were monitoring the situation.
"We've had a normal type flooding circumstance in Grantham, which has happened many times over the years, certainly nothing like 2011," he said.
"At this stage we don't consider there's any real danger to anyone."
He said the council was watching the situation at nearby Laidley and Forest Hill, with a 9m rise in the creek at Mulgowie to the south.
"There will be some flooding tonight at Laidley and we are currently preparing for that," he said.
"We are in a limbo period but we are watching it carefully and if there is any danger we will evacuate."
He said many Grantham residents had moved to blocks on a nearby hill, which would keep them well out of reach of floodwaters.
3:21pm:
Keith Urban concert scheduled for tonight at Brisbane Entertainment Centre has been postponed until Monday night.
2:46pm:
Queensland has recorded its first flood death - an elderly man whose body was pulled from the water at Burnett Heads, northeast of Bundaberg.
Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said the death was connected to the flooding, but with next of kin yet to be advised he would not reveal further details.
Authorities also hold grave fears for two other people.
One is a woman who was last seen driving into floodwaters near Traveston on Saturday.
Swift water rescue teams are searching for her.
The other is a man who was swept away when he and two companions drove into flood waters at Widgee Creek near Gympie.
He remains missing. A man and a woman he was with were rescued early on Sunday.
2:43pm:
Helicopter rescues of stranded elderly residents have taken place in the small town of Pacific Haven, southeast of Childers, which has been cut off by flood waters.
Two AGL Action Rescue Helicopters flew to the town and rescued a couple who were left clinging to a log in rising flood waters after the boat they were in capsized.
The woman was winched to safety by the helicopter, while the man was able to wade to the bank and return to their home.
The choppers carried out another rescue in the same town of an elderly man with mobility issues and his wife, who were both winched to safety from their inundated home.
The man was transported to Hervey Bay Hospital for observation.
2:36pm:
A 27-year-old man was missing after he attempted to cross a swollen creek near Gympie north of Brisbane and a swift-water rescue team lost their boat trying to retrieve him, according to the town's mayor Ron Dyne.
Dyne said a number of people had been forced to retreat to the roofs of their homes to await rescue from the rising waters, with the centre of Gympie expected to flood later Sunday.
"At this stage, we've got major concerns," said Dyne.
"Everything's occurred rather rapidly given the amount of rain we've had."
2:23pm:
The town of Mundubbera, around 40km to the west of Gayndah has been split in two, with water in the Burnett River rising 2m above the Dimitrios Bridge.
Councillor Faye Whelan said water in the river had reached 19.2m, 1m above the 2010 flood levels, and was still rising.
"We've got a bit of a fight on our hands at the moment," she said.
"We've got three rivers in flood and that's what's going to impact on our town and residential areas."
She said all houses that were inundated in 2010 had been flooded again, and the community was rallying to help residents, some of whom had to be evacuated and rescued.
"We've had to have some rescues some of the outlying areas have water though their homes and completely enveloping their properties," she said.
She said rain had stopped for the time being, but water was still rising and she expected more homes to be flooded.
2:21pm:
Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate: "We are on a watching brief and our emergency services are ready to go at any time."
2:10pm:
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has warned residents to expect the worst of ex-Cyclone Oswald to hit between 6pm and 8pm tonight and urged residents and tourists to stay indoors.
Wind gusts are already knocking people off their feet in Surfers Paradise and at least one awning has been ripped off a building.
He said up to 250mm of rain and 125km/h winds could lash the Coast.
The Gold Coast City Council disaster management unit was meeting at 2pm and preparing to activate and local SES volunteers have already received more than 60 call-outs.
Gold Coast police chief Paul Ziebarth said wild weather 'rubber-neckers' were endangering their lives on the Southport Spit and beaches, and police had ordered at least one swimmer out of the dangerous surf.
The city council is providing 300 beds to Moreton Bay Regional Council to help with its flood relief effort.
2:03pm:
Wild weather in Brisbane brings down trees in some areas; heavy rain and tides lift river levels and waterfront areas along the bayside were inundated as surf rolled in.
2:01pm:
Premier Campbell Newman says Queensland will need a lot of help from the federal government to recover from the state's unfolding flood disaster.
Mr Newman is meeting with the state's disaster managers as cities along the central coast flood, and the southeast corner braces for cyclonic winds and flooding rains.
Before the meeting in Brisbane, he said he was saddened to see the damage tornadoes had done to homes in the Bundaberg region.
He spent the morning with residents of Bargara, where homes were severely damaged by a tornado on Saturday.
"What's been hit has been really smashed bad," he told the Seven Network.
He said he toured one family's home and the damage was terrible.
"All their possessions are totally soaked in water, the roof is half ripped off, their caravan smashed, their car smashed and debris all over their yard," Mr Newman said.
He said he was very aware of the flood crisis unfolding in Bundaberg, where a flood could be bigger than the one of 2010/11 and where whole suburbs had been evacuated.
He said some of the properties that went under two years ago would go under again, and that was a heart-breaking prospect for those affected.
He said this afternoon's disaster management meeting would also focus on the impacts for the southeast corner.
"This afternoon the big one is what is going to happen in the Bremer River, Lockyer Creek and the dams," he said.
"That's something I intend to give the community some advice on this afternoon."
He said the meeting would also discuss what help would be sought from the federal government.
"Clearly now we are getting to a situation where we have big impacts. We're going to need a lot of support, particularly with the clean up."
Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan will hold a press conference at 2.45pm (AEST) to outline what federal assistance will be offered.
1:49pm:
Some Burpengary residents are being urged to evacuate their homes, with 200-300mm of rain expected to fall in the Moreton Bay area this afternoon.
The Moreton Bay Regional Council issued a notice this afternoon advising residents in and around Dale St to evacuate, with the river height at Burpengary Creek hitting 8.2m at 1.30pm.
The council is warning there may be flood damage to low-lying properties, and is undertaking a doorknock to advise residents to leave the area.
Residents have been also been warned of the potential for moderate to major flooding conditions across the region, with winds expected to top 125km/h.
1:32pm:
North Bundaberg is being evacuated after the Burnett River broke its banks.
A disaster declaration now covers most low-lying suburbs of the central Queensland city, giving authorities the power to enforce mandatory evacuations if people refuse to leave.
North Bundaberg residents have been told they have a very short window to get out, with up to 100 homes and businesses already flooded there, the ABC reports.
Several properties have also been inundated in the city's east - some of them the same ones that were hit during the city's 2010-11 floods.
The Burnett River is now expected to peak at 9 metres - well above the levels recorded during the 2010/11 floods.
Evacuation centres have been set up for those forced to leave their homes.
1:06pm:
Reports of Mooloolaba being hit by a tornado. Earlier, there were reports of windows breaking in units at Alexandra Headlands.
12:45pm:
Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson has warned residents in his region "the worst is still to come".
"The front is still approaching and we have been informed that the most significant part of the storm will hit us this afternoon and evening," Cr Jamieson said.
"People should be aware there is extreme danger," he said.
"If they are safe where they are, they should stay there. If they are concerned, or in flood-prone areas, our advice is to go now to one of our evacuation centres before access becomes worse.
"Emergency personnel are under enough pressure already."
Cr Jamieson said about 20 people had arrived at evacuation centres at Caloundra, Noosa and Nambour.
He said latest advice pointed to winds above 125km/h and rainfall in excess of 300mm overnight, plus the likelihood of "intense cells" in some areas.
He said power was still out at 17,000 homes in the region.
EVACUATION CENTRES: Nambour Civic Centre, 60-64 Currie Street; The J at Noosa Junction, 60 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads; and Caloundra Indoor Stadium, Caloundra Road, Golden Beach. The Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour is open for caravans.
12:43pm:
Flood and storm damage across Queensland has triggered a statewide catastrophe declaration from the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA).
Tornadoes, storms and flooding have hit the state's centre and southeast in recent days, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of homes and leaving tens of thousands more without power.
With the extent of the damage still unfolding, ICA chief executive Rob Whelan said a catastrophe declaration meant an industry taskforce would help coordinate the response.
12:10pm:
Brisbane City Council has activated its disaster coordination centre - a hi-tech management room as forecasters predict the city could be lashed by more than 250mm of rain over the next 24 hours.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk is urging residents to remain calm in the face of wild weather, saying the activation was "a precautionary measure".
He said there had been some localised flooding, which forced the closure of roads, but there have been no major incidents reported to council so far.
"Weather forecasters are saying the next 24 hours will be critical, which is why last night I directed the CEO to activate the city's Local Disaster Co-ordination Centre as a precautionary measure so that we're ready to act if needed," Cr Quirk said.
"However, as I said, this is a precautionary measure and the best thing people can do is stay calm, get your back up plans in place in case of power loss or flooding and avoid going out on the roads if you can.
"We've already had some flooding across roads and I remind people not to drive through water, it's just not worth the risk and we don't need any avoidable incidents tying up SES resources.
"Along with the LDCC, council's rapid response units are also on standby to deal with any incidents and residents should report anything they see from fallen branches to large potholes to council on 3403 8888."
Cr Quirk said council's call centre had been inundated by more than 1,200 calls since yesterday morning about fallen trees and sandbags, with more than 3000 sandbags handed out since Friday.
"These sandbags are there for residents who want to prepare as a precaution and if live you in low-lying areas and around creeks that you know regularly flood I encourage you to start making arrangements to protect yourselves and your house in case of an event," Cr Quirk said.
"We're continuously restocking however I ask people please only take as what you need.
"I also ask people to keep an eye on their neighbours, particularly the elderly, and lend a hand with any preparations where you can."
The Lord Mayor will chair a meeting of the city's Local Disaster Management Group later today.
This includes representatives from the Queensland Police, Bureau of Meteorology, Energex, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and Red Cross.
He will then hold a press conference at 1.15pm to update the situation.
12:04pm:
More than 70,000 megalitres of water has been dumped from Wivenhoe Dam since Friday, as preparations continue for the arrival of ex-tropical cyclone Oswald later today.
Intense rainfall and destructive windgusts have been experienced in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, where places like Cooran have recorded 63mm in just one hour.
At 10am, the centre of the system was 100km north of Miles and moving at 20km/h in a SSE direction.
A severe weather warning remains current for the Wide Bay Burnett, the Southeast Coast, and parts of the Darling Downs and Granite Belt.
Dam releases are occurring at a rate of 900 cubic metres a second, still much slower than during the January 2011 flood crisis when water was being pumped out of Wivenhoe at a rate of 7000 cubic metres a second.
A statement by SEQWater said the releases were expected to continue for the next few days, and Twin Bridges, Colleges Crossing, Savages Crossing, Kholo Bridge and Burtons Bridge would remain closed.
The statement said releases from Somerset Dam could start this afternoon, and water was continuing to be drawn down from North Pine dam, at a rate of 180 cubic metres a second.
With the system already causing widespread destruction and flooding in central Queensland and the Fraser Coast, the State Government has requested Army helicopters, and put defence personnel on stand by to assist with rescues, and the flood clean up.
Premier Campbell Newman told radio 4BC he had been in communication with the Prime Minister in the last 24-hours, and he knew the Federal Government would provided the support needed.
"It's likely we're going to need members of the Australian Defence Force to rescue people.. but also with cleaning up," said Mr Newman.
He toured the tornado-hit Wide Bay area this morning, and said an assessment was underway about the level of support and resources needed.
Brisbane Airport remains open, but anyone travelling is urged to check with their airline about flight times.
Sunshine Coast Airport is closed, with all Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights into Maroochydore today cancelled.
It's expected additional services will be scheduled with the airport reopens.
Train services between Nambour and Gympie North have been suspended today, and Brisbane Citycats and ferries are travelling at reduced speed because of the higher tides.
11:33am:
Dozens of homes and businesses are underwater in Bundaberg as the Burnett River rises rapidly towards an expected 70-year record height.
Up to 200 homes and 100 businesses are expected to be affected by flooding and have already been evacuated.
Roads to the CBD are well under water and pontoons have been ripped off moorings along with yachts which have crashed into each other on the river.
Residents are experiencing their third flood since 2010. An evacuation centre has been established at the Bundaberg Civic Centre in Bourbong Street.
11:22am:
Moreton Shire says beaches in the region are being hammered by the weather. Redcliffe jetty was closed with water covering parts of it. In Brisbane, water creeping higher in Brisbane River around CBD due to tide surge. Waves breaking over the foreshore at Lota near Manly and at Shorncliffe.
11:20am:
Gold Coast beaches appear to have withstood this morning's high tide surge and big waves, but they remain closed after lifeguards and lifesavers took down the red and yellow flags yesterday.
Conditions will be re-assessed this afternoon but with more wild weather predicted - including an increasing swell and gale-force winds - the beaches are likely to remain closed.
At Currumbin Surf Club, sea water surged through the carpark on the 8.15am high tide and lifesavers sandbagged the entrance to the club which is perched on Elephant Rock right next to the ocean.
The already badly-eroded Nobby and Palm Beach strips do not appear to have sustained any more damage at this stage but the swell is tipped to rise tomorrow.
There have been no reports of flooding problems on the Gold Coast as yet.
11:09am:
In Rockhampton, water police have rescued a man whose boat was hit by an unoccupied vessel in the Fitzroy River early this morning.
Police said about 2.40am Sunday the boatie was woken up by the collision, which broke the moorings and sent both boats drifting down the river.
The unoccupied boat capsized and sank, but water police were able to moor the man's vessel and assist him back to shore.
Police are now calling on the owner of the sunken 15-foot fibreglass vessel described as blue with white stripes - to contact them.
11:02am:
The town hall at Woolooga, only recently rebuilt after the 2010-2011 floods, has again been swamped by floodwaters.
Gympie mayor Ron Dyne told The Courier-Mail that the local hotel had also been affected, along with homes raised in height after the previous floods.
Cr Dyne said the Mary River was looking like peaking at 17m tonight, which would see businesses in Mary St and River Rd inundated.
He said it was uncertain whether the river would rise further on Monday with more rainfall modelling required.
"Widgee has been hit hard, with a number of swift water rescues, as well as Woolooga and Goomeri.
"The Bruce Highway is closed south of Gympie and our bridges are starting to go under.
"We also have 100 backpackers who have been evacuated from Fraser Island being looked after at the community centre at Rainbow Beach."
10:58am:
A woman has been plucked to safety after she was found clinging to a tree in floodwaters at Biloela.
Emergency services said the woman, whose age is unknown, escaped the incident without injury.
The RACQ Capricorn rescue helicopter was tasked to Dawson Highway at Biloela about 3.20am Sunday after reports a woman was standing on the back of her ute clinging to a tree.
It is unclear how high the waters had risen but an ambulance spokeswoman said the woman was rescued successfully later this morning and returned to dry land uninjured.
10:39am:
Queensland's Premier has revealed the Army is on stand-by to assist with disaster management and the flood clean-up if required.
A spokesman for Campbell Newman said the Army had been part of official briefings on the situation since it began last week.
``There's the potential for them to be used anywhere across Queensland if needed,'' he said.
The Army assisted with the clean-up from the 2010-11 summer of disaster.
10:25am:
Water is being released from south-east Queensland dams at the accelerated rate of about 1000 cubic metres a second.
That is about three times as fast, as it was initially being released when the let down began on Friday afternoon.
But Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said that was still much slower, than in January 2011, when water was gushing out at a rate of 7000 cubic metres a second.
"I don't want people to be unduly worried. The dams can hold this water. The problem is, if we get a lot more rain but I can't control that," Mr Newman told radio 4BC this morning.
"There's lots of flood storage capacity. Let's hope we don't get even higher rainfalls like they saw in Gladstone."
The Premier again repeated his warnings to people to exercise extreme caution, and common sense in the current conditions.
"Given high winds, high seas and high tides, please do not drive into flooded waterways," said Mr Newman.
"Parents, please keep kids out of flooded waterways and stormwater drains... and please don't go into the water.
"They obviously need to stay right away (from fallen powerlines) and please, the final one is unless you need to travel, stay at home. Curl up with a book or watch a video."
He also urged residents to clean up their yards, and remove any items that could potentially turn into missiles in the strong winds.
At Bargara yesterday, a barbecue was found embedded in the side of a house two blocks from its home.
Mr Newman will provide a full briefing of the natural disaster unfolding, at 2pm, when he returns to Brisbane after touring the tornado-ravaged Wide Bay-Burnett region.
10:07am:
The Sunshine Coast Airport is closed but there are no plans to shut down Brisbane Airport, despite a number of flights being cancelled and at least one international flight being diverted to Sydney because of strong wind gusts.
Qantas has cancelled a number of flights, including those in and out of Bundaberg, as well as a flight to Lord Howe Island, and from Darwin to Brisbane.
An Airservices Australia spokesman said all flights cancelled as a result of the closure of the Sunshine Coast Airport, would probably be rescheduled when the weather eased.
"Brisbane Airport is still open and operating. There aren't any real issues, just occasional sudden wind gusts," he said.
"In these circumstances the pilot may decide to go around (Brisbane) or there may be some extra holding (of aircraft) off the coast.
"Generally flights are getting in, and they're getting on."
He said air traffic controllers were working closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to monitor what was going on.
10:01am:
Mooloolah couple Rita and Henry Bollier are counting themselves lucky after escaping injury when a neighbour's giant gum tree crashed on to their home.
Mrs Bollier told The Courier-Mail it was amazing they were not hurt or their Sunshine Coast hinterland property seriously damaged.
"It was about 6pm, we had very strong winds and rain and suddenly there was a loud bang and the whole house shook. Photos came down off the walls ... it was very frightening," she said.
"The tree, which was about 38m high, had fallen on our home and the entire crown was on our roof. The roots, about five metres in diameter, were out of the ground."
Mrs Bollier said the damage would be assessed in coming days but she and her husband were very thankful to have escaped the terrifying incident.
She said they had lived in Australia for 20 years after moving from Switzerland.
"We have never seen a storm like this."
Ten-year-old Oliver Martin, who lives near the Bolliers in Fern Gully Place, was devastated to see his Christmas present a new trampoline mangled and wrapped around a tree.
His mother Cassandra said the massive wind gusts that hit the area had been extremely frightening.
"Trees were flying everywhere. Oliver was quite shaken by it but we are okay now.
"We moved from England about three years ago and have had snakes, floods and now a tornado, or whatever they are calling them. I think we are well and truly initiated," Mrs Martin said.
The SES said Mooloolah and Maleny had been hardest hit by the strong winds, with numerous call-outs for fallen trees.
9:57am:
Residents in low-lying areas of Biloela have been evacuated.
9:55am:
Extremely heavy rain at Walla, near Gin Gin and very close to Morganville - one of the first places hit by the 2010-2011 floods.
9:53am:
Police report roads to Hervey Bay are cut in all directions; most roads in low-lying areas of Maryborough are flooding.
9:49am:
The town of Mundubbera, in the Wide Bay-Burnett region, will be "split in two" as floodwaters surge past the water mark of the 2010-2011 floods.
At 9.35am, Cr Faye Whelan described the town, which has a population of 2300, as "chaotic" with people stranded in the rising floodwaters.
"In about three quarters of an hour the Dimitrios Bridge will go under, which will effectively separate one side of the town from the other," she said.
"Major evacuations are underway to get people out. It is a pretty dire situation and the water is probably worse than the 2010 and 2011 floods."
9:26am:
Around 480mm of rainfall was dumped on Walla – one of the state's hardest hit areas – last night. Meanwhile, the Sunshine Coast hinterland at Maleny recorded 294mm in 24 hours and the Lockyer Valley received 100-150mm.
The Bureau of Meteorology said Brisbane and the Gold Coast have been hit with 50-100mm of rain but this was expected to "increase rapidly" as the storm progresses.
It is currently 130km south-west of Gladstone, they said. Forecasters predict the low pressure system is moving south east, with the rain and destructive winds easing over the Wide Bay Burnett region – with Gladstone "almost in the clear".
The Bureau also received reports of a possible tornado at Burrum Heads, outside of Hervey Bay, about 3.30am on Sunday following destruction to a house and caravan park.
"It's just not always easy to catch on the radar and that's why we have general warnings," Mr Wedd said.
He said the conditions for tornado activity was favourable again today and vowed the bureau would keep a close eye on the radar.
"What's happened is tropical low levels of wind in the atmosphere combine with tropical moisture and those two ingredients go together to produce tornado activity," he said.
The Bureau's technical officer Ken Kato said it was near impossible to predict the time frame of the storm system as it tracks south because it had "such wide-ranging effects".
"But we do expect it to pick up some pace as it head south-south-east and starts to develop over Brisbane and extends to the Gold Coast," he said.
"We are expecting the worse today through to tonight. By tomorrow morning, the activity should ease but there will probably still be rain at the back side of the system near the Darling Downs, however there is uncertainty and it could last longer."
9:21am:
Hervey Bay blogger Deborah Cook, of debbish.com, reports wild weather at Urangan, with waves slamming the foreshore earlier today. She said the rain had stopped and clouds disappeared shortly after 9am and winds eased slightly.
9:09am:
The Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Cooranis about to be isolated by floodwaters as Six Mile Creek breaks its banks.
Local Disaster Management Coordinator Alan "Fox" Rogers said Kenilworth already had been cut off.
"We are experiencing the worst of it at the moment with strong winds and rain. The SES has 72 jobs outstanding (at 9am) and there are power lines down with about 10,000 people without power earlier this morning," Mr Rogers said.
"It's a big system - there is a lot of rain and winds up to 125km/h. It hit the northern end of the Coast first but its impacts are being felt across a broad area," he said.
"We are urging people to be sensible and only go out if they have an emergency."
Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson and Mr Rogers will deliver an update at 11.30am.
8:55am:
Premier Campbell Newman will visit the coastal town of Bargara, east of Bundaberg, today to assess the scale of the damage.
Mr Newman will be accompanied by Community Safety minister Jack Dempsey and Local Government minister David Crisafulli.
A Cabinet Disaster Sub Committee meeting will be held at 1pm at Emergency Service Complex at Kedron, followed by an update at 2pm.
8:45am:
Moreton Bay Council has opened three evacuation centres ahead of this morning's high tide.
Council staff is manning centres at the Bribie Island Rugby League Club, Caboolture Memorial Hall and Watson Park Convention Centre.
As rain continues to dump on the area, council are urging residents to stay with friends and family "away from the threat area".
"If this is not an option, council has opened three evacuation centres at the following locations from this morning"
Bribie Island Rugby League Club Entrance Point 1 - 156 First Ave, Bongaree
Caboolture Memorial Hall King Street, Caboolture
Watson Park Convention Centre Old Gympie Road, Dakabin
A council spokesman said there have been no reports of anyone presenting at the centres this morning.
The local council has issued a flood warning to people living in Dale Street and surrounds in Burpengary.
By 8am Sunday, authorities were assessing the situation as the river height at the Dale Street gauge had risen to 7.5m.
They have also issued an alert to people in the Stanley River Catchment via the MoretonAlert system.
Average rainfall in the catchment over the past six hours has been 95mm and 133mm in the past 12 hours.
A council spokeswoman said they were waiting for the high tide, which is predicted to hit at 10am.
"The water is coming up at the present and we will let people know how it progresses," he said.
Moreton Bay Regional Council is advising local residents to closely monitor local flood conditions, warnings and advice.
8:37am:
Two people are being treated by paramedics after being rescued from the water at Widgee Creek, near Gympie, early Sunday morning.
There are also reports crews are continuing to search for a third person but this is unable to be unconfirmed.
Fire fighters were called to Gympie Woolooga Rd, Widgee, around 4am on Sunday, but details are sketchy and it is unclear how the people ended up in the water.
The Department of Community Safety said up to 46 people were evacuated by SES and QFRS at Biloela overnight.
Several other swift water and flood boat rescues also took place overnight.
Emergency services are urging residents to take care with heavy rainfall expected to continue across Queensland.
8:26am:
An evacuation centre has been opened at the Bundaberg Civic Centre in Bourbong Street.
8:24am:
Pics through of wild weather at Hervey Bay as strong winds lash the coast.
8:15am:
Emergency services have been kept busy with more than 800 calls for help overnight as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald continues to slam central and southeast Queensland.
The State Emergency Service has been inundated with requests for assistance for leaking roofs, roof damage and sandbagging.
In the past 24 hours to 5am Sunday January 27, more than half of those jobs concentrated in the north coast area, stretching from Bundaberg to the Sunshine Coast and inland.
There were also 160 jobs in central Queensland, 55 jobs in the Brisbane area and more than 75 in the south east.
8:10am:
Deliveries of The Sunday Mail in Rockhampton and Gladstone regions have been delayed today because of highway closures.
8:05am:
A woman says she feels "hopeless" stuck in New South Wales after hearing her sister's property near Bundaberg is submerged three to four metres deep in floodwaters at Lowmead.
Angie Johnson said she was shocked to receive an image of her sister's property on Lowmead Road underwater, which was uploaded on Facebook yesterday morning.
"I believe her neighbour said they were in ankle deep water and she thought 'oh no, that's not good'," Ms Johnson said.
"Anne grabbed a few of our father's paintings, just a bit of food not much and rushed out."
"She managed to save the chickens but I believe they lost the horse."
Ms Johnson said her sister sent her a text early Sunday morning, saying they could no longer see their house - estimating it was now three to four metres underwater.
"They are alright, just staying with neighbours at the moment, and are trying to be optimistic," she said.
"They have had floods before but not like this."
7:58am:
Emergency evacuation centres have been opened on the Sunshine Coast in response to the worsening conditions.
Sunshine Coast Council opened centres at Nambour Civic Centre, 60-64 Currie Street; The J at Noosa Junction, 60 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads; and Caloundra Indoor Stadium, Caloundra Road, Golden Beach.
The Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour will be open for caravans from 9am.
7:56am:
Bundaberg is bracing for a major flood as the Burnett River rises rapidly, and the weather bureau warns it is likely to exceed the 2010 flood.
It comes as another tornado reportedly hit the nearby seaside town of Burrum Heads, causing more damage
"Strong" river rises are expected today in the Burnett catchment, with major flood levels likely to be exceeded in Bundaberg this afternoon.
The bureau warns rises will continue tomorrow and Tuesday, with levels expected to exceed the December 2010 flood (7.92m).
7:55am:
Sunshine Coast residents have been warned the extreme weather that has hit the region is expected to continue all day and tonight.
Local Disaster Management Coordinator Alan Rogers said the latest update from the Queensland Bureau of Meteorology indicated the weather system would bring up to 300mm of rain and winds reaching speeds of more than 125 km/h during the next 24 hours.
"The bureau is advising that when the weather will include destructive and unpredictable winds, with the possibility of tornadoes, heavy rainfall, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf," Mr Rogers said.
7:53am:
Reports of house flooding at Lowmead, north of Bundaberg.
7:40am:
More than 22,000 people are currently without power as gusts bring down power lines and snap off tree branches.
"There are quite a lot of power interruptions as we speak and that number is going up and down as crews restore power and then other properties lose power," an Energex spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman is urging people to be careful as there are more than 40 fallen power lines in southeast Queensland.
She said restoration efforts were being hampered by "swollen creeks" and "soggy paddocks".
"The main thing is if you see a fallen power line, keep others away and call for help straight away."
For more updates follow Energex on Facebook, Twitter or on their website.
7:37am:
ABC reports a mission is continuing to save two people trapped in a car in the flooded Widgee Creek near Gympie.
Four homes have also gone under water at Woolooga, west of Gympie.
7:33am:
Virgin has cancelled all morning flights into and out of Gold Coast Airport due to the wild weather but the airport says it is 'open and fully operational'.
An airport spokeswoman said Virgin flights were due to resume at lunchtime but this could change if the weather worsened.
Jetstar and other airlines are sto flying in and out of Coolangatta.
The airport is awaiting a $10 million instrument landing system to allow pilots to land safely in bad weather.
7.28am:
Weatherzone forecaster Josh Fisher said conditions were easing around Gladstone as ex-tropical cyclone Oswald tracks south.
"In the past 24 hours we saw 176mm of rainfall but today there will be isolated showers in the area," he said.
Instead the heaviest rain for today is predicted to hit the Wide Bay Burnett, south of Bundaberg, and southeast Queensland, including Brisbane and the eastern parts of the Darling Downs, as Oswald moves south to south-east.
"There is potential for up to 250mm of rain in total and the potential for destructive wind gusts of up to 125km/hr," Mr Fisher said.
"There is also the risk of tornados developing".
He said records showed the hardest hit areas overnight included Boolaroo Downs, 780km northwest of Brisbane, which received 461mm of rain since 9am Saturday.
7.23am:
There were reports this morning that a tree had fallen through the roof of a house at Mooloola on the Sunshine Coast
7am:
ABC radio reported the Bureau of Meteorology had seen what appeared to be a tornado in the Bribie area.
This story will be continually updated throughout the day. Keep checking for updates.
It came after a tornado warning was last night issued for Brisbane - following an extraordinary afternoon in which five tornadoes ripped through coastal towns near Bundaberg, leaving at least 20 people injured and a trail of destruction.
Winds on the Sunshine Coast strengthened last night, with reports the wind had been roaring since 8pm.
In Brisbane city, wind speeds were gusting to 32km/h at about 6am, but felt much stronger near the city's bayside.
The city had received 50.8mm of rain in the 24 hours since 9am Saturday, but much heavier falls were reported on the Sunshine Coast.
Maleny received 111mm since 9am Saturday.
Earlier
As ex-Cyclone Oswald bore down on the southeast, the weather bureau said Brisbane could also be hit by tornadoes.
Southeast Queensland was bracing for a possible sixth tornado overnight, following tornadoes in and around the sugarcane region of Bundaberg.
More than 10,000 homes in Bundaberg and another 20,000 homes on the Sunshine Coast were left without power as winds tore down power poles and ripped roofs off houses.
Do you have photos of flooding? MMS them to 0428 258 117 or email them.
Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine coast residents are today facing up to 500mm of rain, flooding and 125km/h winds after the slow-moving but ferocious storm parked over Gladstone and Bundaberg, wreaking widespread damage and washing out Australia Day celebrations.
Disasters were declared, homes evacuated and torrential rain, fierce winds and wild seas lashed more than 600km of coastline in the "Ossie Day" chaos.
The State Government declared disasters in both cities.
See more pics of the wild weather
In Gladstone, evacuations began from about 1000 homes threatened by floodwaters while tornadoes slammed into Bargara, Burnett Heads, Coonarr and Bungadoo, near Bundaberg, injuring about 20 people.
The twisters brought down trees and flung iron and windows across the streets. A man and a woman were injured in Bargara after a large norfolk pine crashed on to a vehicle, trapping them inside.
Premier Campbell Newman said he had asked affected Queenslanders to be "alert but not alarmed" on Friday, but the situation had deteriorated.
"The rain event has only just started," Mr Newman said. "There'll be more intense rain over the next two days."
Gladstone has had about 700mm in the past four days - another 200mm to 400mm is expected by the end of today. The city's Awoonga Dam, with about 500 properties downstream, had 6m of water over its spillway.
King tides this morning will heighten the flood threat around Tannum Sands and Boyne Island, which narrowly escaped inundation yesterday.
Residents in the towns of Jambin and Goovigen were ordered to leave as a water volume almost six times greater than their previous flood bore down.
Authorities are also worried about potential flooding in Bundaberg and Maryborough.
With 300mm to 500mm of rain forecast to drench the southeast over the next two days, almost 500 cubic metres of water a second was being dumped from Wivenhoe Dam.
Weather bureau boss Rob Webb said areas near the coast would see heavier rain and "we do expect rivers to develop floodwaters".
He said Oswald had stalled over Gladstone but was expected to become "mobile" again last night and march south.
Mr Newman said localised flooding remained the biggest threat, rather than river floods like those which devastated the southeast in 2011.
"This event is different . . . the dams are lower than they were back in 2011," he said.
"If the Bureau of Meteorology figures come to pass, we can absorb that flood.
"There would of course have to be (more) discharges from the dams and that is being evaluated at the moment."
But the Premier warned that suburban creeks in Brisbane and on the Gold and Sunshine coasts were the big danger.
Peter Hall, Kate McKenna, Tuck Thompson, Neale Maynard, Anthony Gough, Robyn Ironside, Greg Stolz, Renee Viellaris, Kay Dibben and Kathleen Donaghey and AAP
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Brisbane and Ipswich brace for floods
Dengan url
http://duniasikasik.blogspot.com/2013/01/brisbane-and-ipswich-brace-for-floods.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Brisbane and Ipswich brace for floods
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Brisbane and Ipswich brace for floods
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar