Heavy rain, flooding to hit eastern Australia while Hobart sweats through rare heatwave

Key points

• Heavy rain could fall across parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales over the coming days, with some areas possibly receiving more than a month's typical October rainfall in under a week. Flooding has already started in central Queensland, and more areas could be affected.
• Meanwhile, Hobart is experiencing unusually hot October weather, reaching 30.4 degrees on Tuesday, its hottest October day in nine years. A cold front is forecast to bring temperatures sharply down by the weekend.
• Meteorologist Angus Hines says the national weather pattern will stay unsettled through the weekend before easing.