Queensland, NSW bracing for east coast low to do its worst

RESCUE crews are being mobilised and warnings issued as another east coast low threatens to batter Queensland and NSW and ruin everyone’s weekend.

Weather to worsen for the weekend

IT’S not looking like a great weekend weatherwise for the east coast as the same type of weather system that devastated parts of New South Wales just last week threatens northern parts of the state and Queensland.

Severe weather warnings have been issued for both states as the low is expected to deepen.

People in the Sunshine Coast and parts of the Central Highlands have been warned of damaging winds, heavy rainfall, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf as the system worsens.

Brisbane is also in line for wild weather, due to be affected later this afternoon.

The east coast low is blanketing southeast Queensland and northern NSW.

A strong upper trough is moving in an easterly direction over southern Queensland and is expected to combine with a moist wind flow, causing heavy rain that may lead to flash flooding.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Dean Narramore said conditions were beginning to worsen and wouldn’t ease until Saturday.

“It’s going to be a wet and cool 36 hours,” he said.

Residents near coastal areas have been warned of wind gusts of around 90km/h this afternoon as the low passes, and water levels on the Fraser Island Sunshine Coast and gold Coast beaches are tipped to exceed the highest tide of the year.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts rainfall could exceed 400mm by early Saturday.

Parts of NSW are also under threat with the State Emergency Service this morning preparing for “another big onslaught”.

A warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology said the east coast low would move south towards the Northern Rivers district by early Saturday morning, then off the Mid North Coast by Sunday.

Heavy rain, thunderstorms, flash flooding and damaging winds are forecast to develop.

SES deputy commissioner Steven Pearce said multiple helicopters and swift water rescue teams were being mobilised in northern New South Wales.

“We saw the effects of a massive east cost low last week and we don’t want a repeat of that this weekend,” he told Nine.

“Overnight Sydney did get quite a dump of rain again, but our focus is mainly on Northern NSW.”

Gale wind warnings have been issued for Byron Bay and the Coffs Coast, while strong winds are set to hit Macquarie Coast and the Hunter Coast. Sydney’s coast isn’t expected to cop harsh winds until tomorrow afternoon.

The SES is still working through the 21,000 calls received after fierce storms battered the Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra regions last week.

Mr Pearce this morning said in the worst-hit Hunter there were still around 1000 calls to get through.

More than 350mm rainfall are predicted to hit parts of the mid-north coast and northern rivers regions.

It’s the second east coast low to hit in as many weeks.