Australia Weather News

Ex-tropical cyclone Owen could reform later in the week, bringing heavy rain to parts of Queensland after the system crossed the coast at Port Douglas early on Monday bringing winds up to 100 kilometres per hour and dumping hundreds of millimetres of rain.

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecaster Bill O'Connor said the ex-cyclone would continue west into the Gulf of Carpentaria but may reform late on Tuesday.

"It has the potential to wind up into a tropical cyclone and is something that as we track through the week, have to keep a really close eye on, " Mr O'Connor said.

"Under the current model we will see it deepen out through Morning Island and Groote Eylandt and develop into a cyclone late Tuesday and will then head back towards the east coast."

The weather bureau has warned if the system develops back into a cyclone and moves back towards the east coast it could bring showers to central and western Queensland from Thursday and showers and thunderstorms to the northern tropics and Gulf, throughout the week.

However, Mr O'Connor said it was too early to tell exactly where the cyclone could hit if it reformed.

It is expected temperatures will also drop in central and western Queensland later in the week.

'Fast-moving water can be deadly'

A severe weather warning remains in place for the Cairns region after winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour were recorded off Port Douglas and up to 87 kilometres per hour at the Cairns Airport.

Heavy falls were recorded at Kirrama Range, west of Cardwell, where 340 millimetres has fallen since 9am yesterday and more than 202 millimetres in Cairns.

Around 6,000 people were without power on Monday morning at Mossman, Port Douglas and Mission Beach and Tully.

Ergon Energy spokesman, Brett Judge, said the Cairns suburbs of Redlynch, Kuranda and Brinsmead were also affected.

"It's not unexpected when you've got an ex-tropical cyclone that has come through the area with strong winds and extremely heavy rain, " he said.

"Our crews will get out there and get things fixed and power back on as quickly as they can but safety is paramount."

Residents have taken to social media, sharing photos of sheds that were destroyed and timber fences knocked down during the deluge.

The SES has attended dozens of jobs, mainly in Cairns, with requests for sandbags and tarping roofs.

SES Regional Director Wayne Coutts issued a warning to keep away from flooded creeks and waterways.

"It's important to remember fast-moving water can be deadly," Mr Coutts said.

"There can easily be the trap of the extra pressure of the water against debris that they didn't even know was in that swimming hole prior to that."

The Kuranda Scenic Railway has cancelled services for the day and Cairns Regional Council cancelled the city's Carols by Candlelight, due to the wild weather.