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.
Former Fraser Coast councillor and One Nation candidate James Hansen, 57, has been found dead in a flooded creek in Queensland. He went missing on Monday after trying to cross flooded Smothering Creek on Boompa Road, near Maryborough. Police say a report will go to the coroner while investigations continue. Mr Hansen was a dairy farmer and served on Fraser Coast Regional Council for three terms. Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour paid tribute to him as a passionate advocate for rural producers. Severe weather and rising floodwaters continue to affect parts of Queensland.
Readers across northern New South Wales reported overnight rainfall totals from rain gauges, with Wiangaree recording 32mm and Bean Creek north of Bonalbo recording 30mm. Mt Lindesay Road between Legume and Woodenbong is closed in both directions. The Bureau of Meteorology says more rain is possible tonight, with up to 30mm, and a further 0 to 5mm is possible on Tuesday, with showers and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms inland.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Six campers were rescued from floodwater at Leyburn in southern Queensland. A man was found dead in floodwaters at Boompa, and police are investigating the circumstances of his death. The Bureau of Meteorology warns of more thunderstorms across south-east Queensland this afternoon, with some possibly severe. Flooding is easing along the Mary River, though several bridges remain closed. Residents are urged not to drive through floodwater.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Sydney, Wollongong and parts of the Blue Mountains. A large multi-state storm system is bringing hail, damaging winds and flash flooding to New South Wales, southern Queensland, the ACT and eastern Victoria. Wind gusts of up to 100km/h were recorded in central west NSW. Eight flood warnings are in place across southern Queensland after heavy rain, with the Mary River forecast to reach major flood levels. Forecasters say Monday will bring the last major burst of storms.
Severe thunderstorms are moving across eastern Australia, bringing warnings of damaging winds and heavy rain. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, with flash flooding possible. Wind gusts of up to 113km/h were recorded at Cabramurra in the Snowy Mountains. Queensland is forecast to be hardest hit, after 100mm to 200mm of rain fell in parts of the Wide Bay-Burnett region. Flood warnings are current in several parts of Queensland, including a major warning for the Mary River at Tiaro.
A major flood warning has been issued for Tiaro, where residents are preparing for a high and potentially damaging Mary River tonight and into Monday. The Bureau of Meteorology says the river at Tiaro is at 8.19 metres and rising, with moderate flooding, and may reach the major flood level of 12 metres overnight. The Mary River at Miva is near moderate flood levels, while Gympie is experiencing minor flooding. Further storms with heavy rain are forecast for the region, which could cause flash flooding.
Queensland has been warned of more storms and flooding this weekend after torrential rain caused severe flash flooding in the southeast. Caboolture, north of Brisbane, was the worst hit, where several people were rescued after driving into floodwaters. Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist David Crock said heavy rain and severe thunderstorms are possible across large parts of the state on Saturday. Storms are expected to peak on Monday as a cold front moves through. Flood warnings are current for rivers and creeks on the Sunshine Coast, in the Brisbane and Lockyer valleys, and in western Queensland.
Forecast rain across northern New South Wales and Queensland could support pastures, soil moisture and summer crops, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences. Rainfall of 15 to 50 millimetres is forecast for northern NSW and Queensland over the eight days to October 15. Outlooks for November to January suggest above-average rainfall is more likely across parts of inland and southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, though El Niño is strengthening. Pasture growth was mixed over the three months to September.
Thunderstorms and heavy rain are forecast to spread across more than half of Australia this weekend, as two weather systems collide over the east. Severe storms could bring flash flooding, damaging winds and large hail, with supercells possible over parts of New South Wales and Victoria. Rain has already fallen across much of Queensland for 10 consecutive days, and several weather stations have recorded their wettest October on record. Storms are expected to return to the eastern states later in the week, with further heavy rain possible across south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales.
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.
A storm in south-east Queensland on Thursday dumped more than 200mm of rain in three hours, causing flash floods and hundreds of State Emergency Service calls. Monthly October rainfall records were broken at Nambour and Beerburrum. Experts say forecasting has improved, but small, localised storms remain hard to predict precisely. Climate scientists also say climate change is intensifying rainfall extremes and making severe weather more consequential, which can make forecasts appear less reliable.
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.
ABC reporter Will Murray and another man swam into fast-moving floodwater north of Brisbane to rescue a driver trapped in a sinking ute. Murray said the vehicle started to float and sink within seconds. He pulled the passenger-side door open as water rose toward the driver's shoulders. Record October rainfall has hit southeast Queensland, with Beerburrum recording 170mm in a day. Homeless camps in Moreton Bay have also been flooded.
Emergency crews have responded to multiple swiftwater call-outs across south-east Queensland after falls of more than 200 millimetres. The State Emergency Service has attended 277 call-outs across the state, including 152 in the Moreton Bay region. Two people were cut off by flash flooding at a campground in the Scenic Rim, and crews are working to reach them. Roads and 14 schools have been closed. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Steve Hadley said rain should ease over the coming day, though heavy bursts could continue for 24 to 72 hours.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Flash flooding across south-east Queensland has prompted rescues overnight, with several people pulled from floodwaters as heavy rain spread through central and southern parts of the state. Authorities have issued a watch and act, prepare to leave warning for areas of Burpengary and Burpengary East, signalling that residents there should monitor conditions closely and get ready to evacuate. Disruption is also reaching classrooms, with two public schools and six independent schools announcing closures for Friday. Road closures have been reported alongside these developments, and the situation is being followed in an ongoing live update.
Western Australian households can claim up to $500 to replace old toilets under the expanded Waterwise Towns program. A four-star toilet earns $400, while a five-star model with a built-in hand basin earns $500. Existing toilets must be single-flush or dual-flush units installed before 1995. Replacements must be fitted by a plumber, and up to two toilets per property can be claimed. The scheme runs until May 31, 2027, or until funding runs out. The state government says the program has saved 2.8 billion litres of water since 2013.
Hail and heavy rain have damaged crops on a South Australian farm just ahead of an expected record harvest. About 30 millimetres of rain fell in 10 minutes at Kamora Park Poll Merino Station near Sandalwood, about 175 kilometres east of Adelaide. Stud principal Katelyn Boughen said at least half of a lupin crop may be damaged. Her aunt, Anne Boughen, estimated about a quarter of the crop, around 400 hectares, was lost. Storms also hit Lameroo and nearby towns, flooding a main street.
Queensland is facing a week of unsettled weather, with showers expected across most of the state, the Bureau of Meteorology says. Senior meteorologist Steve Hadley said a high-pressure area over the Tasman Sea would drive moisture into the state. Severe thunderstorms could hit Winton, Longreach and Windorah on Monday, with possible damaging wind gusts. Rainfall records were broken at three central-west stations at the weekend, and some central Queensland areas barely reached 20 degrees Celsius. Dry conditions are expected to return in late October.
