Australia Weather News

A month's worth of rain has fallen over much of south-east Queensland over the weekend, with residents being warned to brace for another deluge today.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said many parts of the region got a soaking of between 50 and 100 millimetres.

The biggest falls were in the Gold Coast Hinterland where up to 200 millimetres was recorded in Upper Springbrook.

Drivers had to be plucked from cars, and beaches were closed as the wild weather hammered the region.

With rain still falling along coastal areas from the Sunshine Coast north on Monday afternoon, the BOM issued severe weather warnings for parts of the Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett forecast districts.

Heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding is expected to occur between Town of 1770 and Noosa Heads, mainly overnight and into Tuesday.

Damaging wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour have been forecast to affect the Fraser Island coast.

Six-hourly rainfall totals in the range of 120-180mm are forecast for the warning area, with further rainfall expected tomorrow before the trough moves further north on Wednesday.

Senior forecaster Rick Threlfall said the deluge was certainly well above average for October.

"On average generally we only see about 60 or 70mms at this time of the year," he said.

"So quite few places are getting over that in just a matter of a day or so."

He said conditions had eased in Brisbane.

"In the city itself right in the CBD we've had 60mm in the last 48 hours," he said.

"A bit further west towards Wacol we've had about 100mm there and around 80mm in Ipswich over the last 24 hours."

Weather forecaster Harry Clarke said the wet conditions are expected to continue throughout the week.

"There's quite a good chance of most places getting 10 to 30mm a day for the next few days up to Friday," he said.

The Sunshine Coast also copped a belting over the weekend with up to 100mm falling in the last 24 hours.

One of the hardest hit areas was the Wide Bay and Burnett region which also recorded more than a month's worth of rain.

Hervey Bay's coastline recorded falls of up to 120mm.

Mid-north coast facing another month's worth of rain

Residents on the sodden Sunshine Coast and further north to the Fraser Coast are bracing for another deluge.

"Particularly from Bundaberg right down to Double Island Point we could see another 50 to 100mm in places," Mr Threlfall said.

"Maybe the odd spot picking up a bit more.

"But it doesn't spread too far inland. Once you get to places like Childers [you're] probably going to only pick up a few millimetres, so it will be quite focused on the coast."

Car crashes due to treacherous conditions

Motoring body RACQ is urging drivers to think safety first in the wet.

Treacherous conditions led to three life-saving missions by RACQ's LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crews over the weekend.

One woman was trapped in a car for more than an hour after a crash at Maleny.

RACQ spokeswoman Lauren Ritchie urged drivers to only use their cars if they had to.

"Roads are slippery and greasy after the long dry spell," she said.

"But if you do have to drive, slow down and keep your lights on.

"Also ensure you have extra distance between cars while driving at speed on the motorways."

Patchy rain in north Queensland

While rain also fell in north Queensland, it was patchy.

Areas including the Flinders Shire Council have been drought declared since 2013 and almost 70 per cent of Queensland remains in drought.

Grazier Greg Ford from Hughenden Station said he received 71 millimetres of rain at his property.

"Where it fell is a blessing that's for sure," he said.

"We need a lot more rain ... [there are] a lot of desperate people out around the district, just praying for it, hopefully it comes.

"It should be a start, it's encouraging to see this come in October so maybe this may be the start of better things to come."

Up to 44mm of rain has been recorded at the Ross River Dam in the past 24 hours.

But bone-dry Townsville has not been so lucky, recording just 10mm at the airport over the weekend.

Townsville City Councillor Paul Jacob said they were ready to begin pumping water if there was no further rain this week.

"We've envisaged that we'll be turning those pumps on in a week, week-and-a-half," he said.

Townsville's Ross River Dam is currently is at 16 per cent, and the council will begin pumping water from the Burdekin when it hits 15 per cent.

The council had to pump water to the dam for the first time in 10 years in 2016.