Flash flooding, landslides, roads closed as supercell storms hit

Drenched campers enjoyed “fun and games in the mud” at a music festival, while parts of the Gold Coast hinterland received more than 300m as storms lashed the South East.

Festival-goers swapped cowboy boots for gumboots on the first night of the CMC Rocks music festival in Ipswich this weekend after campers slogged through a wet first night amid wild weather in the South East.

Overnight on Thursday, supercell storms slammed parts of the state, dumping up to 250mm in three hours, leading to rapidly rising creeks, landslides and a flurry of flood warnings.

By Friday morning, when the rain started to ease, 312mm had fallen at Upper Springbrook in the Gold Coast hinterland, 214mm at Mt Nimmel, 207mm at Mt Tamborine, 195mm at Clagiraba Rd, and 174mm in the Numinbah Valley.

Jordyn Krogh and Sarah Christie, both from Caloundra, at CMC Rocks, Willowbank on Thursday. Picture: Richard Walker

In just one hour on Thursday night, 92mm fell at Springbrook and 104mm fell at Clagiraba Rd.

Meanwhile, landslides were reported along Pine Creek Road in Springbrook, while a bridge was taken out on Maudsland Rd.

Flash flooding also swamped parts of the Gold Coast on Friday, shutting a number of roads and beaches and inundating homes, schools and caravan parks amid the intense rainfall.

Up to 40mm fell at the CMC festival in Willowbank, with photos showing campsites surrounded by large puddles that swamped tents, swags and caravans.

But despite the Thursday night deluge, CMC’s Darryl Bailey said he felt optimistic about the rest of the weekend.

“I think we actually escaped pretty well, all things considered,” Mr Bailey said.

Campers at the CMC Rocks music festival in Ipswich were hit by heavy rain. Picture Supplied

“We haven’t conducted a full inspection yet, but anecdotally it seems as though there were some people who had a bit of water through their tents and swags but nothing like what happened on the Gold Coast.”

And spirits also remained high among most attendees, with one camper telling The Courier-Mail it was “all fun and games in the mud”.

But the worst should now be over, according to BOM meteorologist Kimba Wong, who said South East Queensland is in for a “fine and mostly sunny weekend” ahead.

“That low pressure system that was bringing rainfall is going to move well offshore and take the rainfall with it, so it should shape up to be a pretty fine weekend,” she said.

It’s also set to be slightly warmer than the September average for Brisbane, where there’ll be a top of 28C on Saturday and 26C on Sunday.