Family’s horror after car becomes trapped in raging floodwaters

Emergency services struggled to communicate with the family, whose vehicle had become trapped in rising floodwaters, due to patchy reception.

A woman and four children have had the fright of their lives after their car became trapped amid rising floodwaters in Queensland’s southeast.

Paramedics were called to the scene near Meandarra Talwood Rd in the small town of Bungunya, about 70km west of Goondiwindi, about 4.20am AEST on Thursday.

It’s understood the car was unable to move forward due to rising waters on either side of the road.

Emergency services were called to the scene near Meandarra Talwood Rd in Bungunya early on Thursday morning. Picture: Google Maps

Police, firefighters and paramedics were immediately deployed to the area but were not able to locate the vehicle upon arrival.

Reception in the area was patchy, Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) told NCA NewsWire, making it difficult for first responders to get in touch with the woman.

She was able to communicate to emergency services several hours later about 7.20am and advised she had been able to move on from the scene.

A QAS spokesman said that at no stage was the vehicle inundated with floodwater and no injuries were sustained during the incident.

North Queensland’s Georgetown received more than 140mm of rain overnight. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

This comes as much of the nation braces for a stretch of wild weather.

There are no signs that the storms that have bombarded the majority of eastern and Northern Australia, particularly NSW and Queensland, since the beginning of the week are easing.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said the eastern part of the country would continue to cop “the brunt” of incoming thunderstorms, though they would also move through Victoria, parts of South Australia and even Tasmania over the coming days.

The worst impacted regions have received more than 100mm of rain, led by Georgetown in North Queensland that was drenched with 140mm overnight and 113mm in just two hours.

On Thursday, storm activity will be largely concentrated over central and western NSW, central and southern Queensland and parts of eastern South Australia.

The torrential downpours will continue into Friday and through the weekend, covering the central regions of the eastern states, according to Mr Hines.

The storm activity will then begin to push south from Saturday, with Sydney and Melbourne to be impacted by the wet weather across the weekend.

Both cities can expect to receive up to 10mm of rain over Saturday and Sunday.