Brisbane and the Gold Coast are on track for their wettest October in six years. Brisbane has recorded about 170 millimetres this month, roughly double its October average of 87 millimetres. Flash floods hit Caboolture and Morayfield, where more than 400 millimetres fell over the past week. The Sunshine Coast is likely to break its October record, with 369 millimetres already recorded at its airport. The Bureau of Meteorology says Brisbane is not expecting heavy falls, apart from possible showers.
A grey four-wheel drive sank in floodwater covering a road in Morayfield, north of Brisbane, within about six minutes. ABC reporter Will Murray and bystander Daniel Hainey pulled the driver free after the vehicle was submerged. Flood researcher Amy Peden said people cannot judge the depth or speed of floodwater, and warned that rescues can cost would-be rescuers their lives. Queensland Fire and Rescue instructor Matt Kelemen advised occupants to lower windows or break side windows, as opening doors against floodwater is difficult.
Parts of southeast Queensland were hit by far more rain than the Bureau of Meteorology had forecast. Rainfall in parts of Brisbane reached about 270mm within a few hours before noon on Thursday, after an earlier forecast of 15 to 50mm. Flash flooding closed Morayfield Shopping Centre and nine schools, and left thousands of homes without power. Emergency crews rescued several people from swift water, and the State Emergency Service has responded to almost 420 calls for help since Thursday. Severe thunderstorms are forecast to continue across the state through the weekend.
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Torrential rain and flash flooding across south-east Queensland have prompted more than 540 calls for emergency help. Sheep Station Creek recorded the highest rainfall, at 343mm, followed by Caboolture and Morayfield. Emergency crews carried out more than 16 swiftwater rescues, including one of an elderly man clinging to his vehicle roof at Caboolture. Several schools closed on Friday, and many roads remain shut. The Bureau of Meteorology says the upper-level trough causing the downpours is moving out to sea, though rain will continue for several days.
City of Moreton Bay is urging residents to stay alert this weekend as more showers and storms are forecast for Saturday. Parts of the city received more than 270mm of rain in 24 hours, causing flash flooding and road closures. As of 10am, 34 council roads and five state-controlled roads were closed. Forty-eight streets were without waste collection due to flooding. Residents are told to avoid flooded roads, and the Groovin' in the Green event on Sunday 25 October has been cancelled.
Emergency crews responded to more than 300 calls for help across southeast Queensland in 24 hours after heavy rain caused flash flooding. Two campers were winched to safety near Mount Barney after floodwaters cut them off. Several drivers were also rescued from stranded cars. Parts of Morayfield were told to prepare to leave, and about a dozen schools closed on Thursday, with some staying shut into Friday. The Bureau of Meteorology says conditions are expected to ease from Tuesday, when a drier air mass should move in.
More than a dozen schools remain closed across south-east Queensland after heavy rain caused flash flooding and hundreds of calls for help. The State Emergency Service responded to 277 call-outs on Thursday, and two campers were winched to safety at Mount Barney. A man was rescued from his sinking car at Morayfield by ABC reporter Will Murray and local resident Daniel Hainey. The Bureau of Meteorology says rain should ease from Friday morning, though isolated falls of up to 40 millimetres are possible, and flood warnings remain in place for some rivers.
Severe storms flooded southeast Queensland, with almost 300 millimetres of rain falling in 24 hours in the Moreton Bay region. Parts of Morayfield were told to prepare to leave. An elderly driver was rescued after being trapped by floodwaters at Rocksberg, west of Caboolture, and narrowly avoided being swept away. At least 14 schools across Moreton Bay were closed. The State Emergency Service responded to 277 callouts in eight hours. Flood warnings remain current in parts of the region.
Moreton Bay Regional Council has told residents in Burpengary and Burpengary East to prepare to leave due to rising floodwaters. Heavy rain has caused flash flooding across southeast Queensland, with some areas receiving over 200mm in 12 hours. Police confirmed two overnight rescues by members of the public, and dozens of roads have closed. Morayfield State High School closed for normal classes. The Bureau of Meteorology says rain should ease during the afternoon and evening, but wet weather is expected to continue across the region.
Two bystanders, including ABC reporter Will Murray, rescued a driver from his sinking four-wheel-drive in floodwater at Morayfield, north of Brisbane. The car stalled on Buchanan Road and began to sink. Murray and Daniel Hainey swam out and pulled the man free just before the vehicle went under. About 170 millimetres of rain has fallen in the area since the morning. The Queensland Fire Department advises residents not to swim in floodwater.
Moreton police have charged a Sunshine Coast teenager with 62 offences linked to dangerous driving across the district. It is alleged the boy was a passenger in a Ford Falcon conducting burnouts in Morayfield on 10 September before it crashed into a fence. A 17-year-old Imbil boy and a 19-year-old Pacific Paradise man were also charged. Police say 142 offenders have now been charged with 618 offences under Operation Yankee Tread since August. A 26-year-old Deception Bay man faces charges after a crash in Caboolture on 11 October.
Moreton police have charged a Sunshine Coast teenager with 62 offences linked to hooning incidents across three districts between April and September. Police allege the boy was a passenger in a Ford Falcon that conducted burnouts in Morayfield and crashed into a fence on 10 September, before he and another teenager left the scene. A 17-year-old Imbil boy faces charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and a 19-year-old Pacific Paradise man faces charges including receiving tainted property. Separately, police allege a driver fled after a crash in Caboolture on 11 October.
Cash-strapped Queenslanders are moving away from Brisbane's established suburbs towards regional mining, farming and manufacturing towns, according to new quarterly sales data from InfoTrack. The Reserve Bank's four rate rises this year lifted the cash rate to 4.6 per cent, cutting borrowing power. Regional hotspots such as Kirwan in Townsville, Maryborough, Gracemere and Emerald appear in the state's top 10 house markets, with median prices well below the $890,000 statewide average. InfoTrack's Lee Bailie said affordability is driving the shift.
Eleven childcare centres run by collapsed operator Edge Early Learning will close, after administrators could not find buyers for them. Administrators KordaMentha found offers for 53 centres in Queensland and South Australia, including 31 proposed for GoodStart Early Learning. Seven closing centres are in Queensland, three in South Australia and one in the ACT. Some parents learned of the closures only days before they take effect, on October 14. Families who prepaid fees will be refunded by the end of October, and parents have been told of nearby centres with some vacancies.
