Emergency services are urging residents to avoid driving through floodwaters caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, as heavy rainfall continues to pummel New South Wales and Queensland.
NSW SES deputy commissioner Damien Johnston said the service had recorded 917 emergency incidents in total over the last 24 hours.
Of those, 17 involved rescues from cars entering floodwaters.
Tens of thousands of people are under emergency warnings throughout Queensland and NSW, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warning heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding.
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There is major flooding in the Richmond and Bellinger river systems currently.
There is also the possibility of major flooding occurring in the Tweed and Clarence river systems.
Brisbane residents said they were “caught by surprise” by gale-force winds overnight, rattling homes and bringing down trees in the wake of Ex-Cyclone Alfred.
The city is also being pummelled by heavy falls and flash flooding.
More power was cut to the region’s homes, with more than 320,000 people now affected.
Residents from Ashgrove and surrounds, which saw minimal impacts from Alfred’s crossing on Friday night and Saturday, say they were “caught by surprise” by last night’s gale-force winds.
It was business-as-usual for a lot of the suburb on Friday but Ashgrove local Emily said she woke up today to lots of trees down around the suburb, and most people without power.
“The winds felt cyclonic. Very loud with battering rain,” she says.
“The old Queenslander was rattling.”
Residents in Ashgrove say they were caught by surprise with the “cyclonic” winds overnight. (Supplied)
Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, saw a peak gust of 104 kilometres per hour just after 9:30pm, while sustained winds of 65 to 70 kilometres per hour were recorded on the Gold Coast.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the situation in Queensland and New South Wales remained serious due to flash flooding and strong winds.
“Heavy rainfall, damaging wind gusts and coastal surf impacts are expected to continue over coming days,” he says.
Heavy rainfall has caused major flooding in Carina in Brisbane’s eastern suburbs. (Supplied: Trish Venz)
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the system continued “to pack a punch” and the challenge today was going to be the rainfall potentially leading to flooding.
“These systems always continue to provide challenges in the way they approach … whether it’s wind or rain,” he says.
“Overwhelmingly, people had prepared.”
Heavy rain that may lead to flash flooding is forecast to continue to develop across the region today, with six-hourly rainfall totals between 80 and 130 millimetres likely.
South-east Queensland is bracing for more potentially destructive winds. (Supplied: Queensland Ambulance Service)
Although the system will continue weakening as it moves inland, locally intense rainfall is also possible, with potential 24-hourly totals between 300 and 400 millimetres.
Major flood warnings are current for the Bremer River, Warrill Creek and the Logan River, with a flood watch issued for the entire south-east.
Other locations that may be affected include Warwick, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Maroochydore, Gympie, Stanthorpe, Caboolture, Coolangatta and Ipswich.
Power grid repairs underway
Electricity workers are tackling toppled energy lines and vegetation to restore power after cyclonic conditions caused Queensland’s biggest natural-disaster blackout this weekend.
The work to restore power comes as some elements of everyday life are restored in the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with airports opening and some public transport running again on Sunday.
“There remains a severe weather warning,” the bureau’s Matthew Collopy said.
A tree fell through the roof of the Sunnybank Scout Hall in Brisbane’s south. (Supplied: Sunnybank Scout Group)
Tragedy has also emerged with the body of a missing man, washed away earlier in New South Wales flood waters, being found on Saturday.
And 13 people were injured in an accident involving two army vehicles on Saturday afternoon near Lismore, where defence forces had been assisting the community with flooding.
Mr Albanese said the personnel were injured on their way to help people in need.
“They were doing this at a time when some of their own families were bearing the brunt of Alfred,” he said.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the incident would not impact the Australian Defence Force’s broader flood response.
Queensland’s south-east and northern New South Wales rarely face the threat of a tropical cyclone.
But the feared widespread wind damage in…
Read More: Heavy rain, flash flooding smashes Queensland, NSW in the wake of Cyclone Alfred