Queensland weather: Flood watch across Queensland, as heavy rainfall, strong winds expected

Showgoers have braved the third day of Brisbane’s annual Ekka in ponchos and umbrellas following heavy rainfall - while the state remains on high alert for more unusually wet winter weather.

Parts of Queensland are on flood watch today with isolated falls of 150mm possible. Picture: Ventusky

Queensland is on flood watch current from the centre of the state down to the New South Wales border, with residents warned to brace for heavy rainfall and strong winds.

The inclement weather started on Sunday and increased overnight as an upper trough interacted with deep moisture and sustained onshore winds to generate widespread showers and thunderstorms over the northern parts of the state.

2cm-sized hail was recorded in Townsville yesterday while just south of the city, upper Major Creek received 119mm of rainfall up to 5am on Monday.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, a flood watch is active for coastal catchments in South East Queensland with the watch current for the Mary River, Noosa River, Brisbane River, Pine and Caboolture Rivers, Logan and Albert Rivers, Sunshine Coast rivers and creeks, and Gold Coast rivers and creeks.

Moderate to heavy rainfall is possible over the flood watch area from today until Wednesday, before easing on Thursday.

It is expected to be a wet day throughout Brisbane today, with rain increasing this afternoon before easing overnight, with rainfall up to 20 to 40 millimetres possible.

Meanwhile regional Queensland is set to see moderate to heavy rainfall with isolated falls of 50 to 100mm and possible flash flooding.

Parts of South East Queensland is currently getting drenched by widespread rainfall. Picture: Weatherzone

Weather bureau meteorologist Helen Reid said that the heaviest falls will take place on or south of a surface coastal trough which is expected to develop between Carmila and Hervey Bay today.

“That’s likely to bring scattered falls of 80mm to 100mm and isolated falls of 120mm to 150mm,” Ms Reid said.

“Thunderstorms are also expected, increasing rainfall totals for some locations.”

Ms Reid added that the weather system will track down the coast from today into the latter part of the week.

“The upper trough is expected to move slowly south down the Queensland coast today and be offshore on Wednesday, while the surface trough will likely develop today and weaken on Thursday,” she said.

The weather system has Queensland on flood watch, with wind warnings also current for the state.

“There’s a flood watch for the South East and Queensland coastal catchments,” she said.

“There’s a marine wind warning for strong winds stretching from the Capricornia Coast in Queensland to the Byron coast in New South Wales.

“We need to be mindful there could be warnings for heavy rainfall issued today.”

Punters headed to the Ekka have been advised to bring ponchos and umbrellas amid wet weather.

Heavy rainfall has put a dampener on proceedings for the third day of the Ekka, with showgoers forced to don ponchos and bring umbrellas.

Sideshow Alley’s Giant Slide has been closed for the majority of the day due to wet conditions on the showgrounds. A sign on the ticketing box reads “closed due to wet weather”.

A man was also seen mopping up water that had seeped into a stall.

Dressed head-to-toe in a poncho, Leanne Gavvert said the rain hasn’t made the Ekka any less enjoyable for her.

Punters braving wet weather at the Ekka on Monday.

“It’s been pretty good, we have just been seeking cover when it’s been showering,” she said.

Maria Vijay was “shocked” after arriving in the middle of a downpour.

“Ponchos help, it was a bit of a shock that it was raining so much. I was really worried about how slippery it would be,” she said.

Nerissa Formosa had to use a hair dryer in desperate attempt to save her children’s stockings after they got drenched. “The kids are dancing at the pavilion later so had to manually hold each stocking up to dry it,” she said.

Vendor Ozhatz is one of the few places selling wet weather clothing at the showgrounds.

An Ozhatz representative said the store was swarmed with customers during a downpour earlier today. She described the scenes as absolute chaos.

“Once it started bucketing down there was no room. You could see money flying around,” she said.

The retailer said they had a major increase in poncho sales compared to the weekend.