Brisbane river bursts banks as Queensland Premier Anna Bligh warns of 'gruesome' day

THE Brisbane River has burst its banks, flooding hundreds of homes in the city's west and the satellite city of Ipswich.

Anatomy of a flash flood

THE Brisbane River has burst its banks, flooding hundreds of homes in the city's west and the satellite city of Ipswich.

Meanwhile grief counsellors will be sent with search and rescue teams to the flood-ravaged Lockyer Valley after devastating flooding in the southeast Queensland centre.

In Brisbane, the swollen river was at 3.1m, and rising on the incoming high tide. The CBD has started to flood, and power company Energex advised they had started cutting off electricity in low-lying areas of Brisbane's central business district from about 9.15 this morning.

Brisbane faces its flood peak tomorrow morning about 4am with heights higher than the 1974 flood.

More than 20,000 homes and properties will be affected over the coming days, many profoundly.

Evacuations are underway in the leafy, inner-west Brisbane suburb of Graceville. People are wading away from their homes, pets and belongings in hand, in knee deep water.

In Ipswich, the BremerRiver will peak this afternoon about 4pm at a similar level - 20.5m - as the 1974 flood. About 4000 homes are expected to be flooded.

People had taken shelter on roofing, with the water lapping the eaves in some spots near the town centre, which is submerged.

Mr Bligh has been meeting with emergency services to finalise plans to manage the unfolding emergency.

Separately, in the devastated Lockyer Valley, west of the city, rescue crews are entering the shattered towns of Grantham and Withcott in search of bodies and any people trapped after Monday's deadly flashfloods.

Ms Bligh warned this morning of the "gruesome" day ahead.

The Premier confirmed the number of missing persons as a result of her state's flood disaster had risen to over 90 and warned of further bodies to be found as weather conditions allowed search and rescue teams better access to flood devastated areas. The confirmed death toll is still at 10, although further bodies are expected today.

"One good thing with the clearing of the weather is that our search and rescue teams are now going in there this morning. I expect them to have one of their toughest days. I think we're all going to be shocked by what they find in these towns that were hit by that tsunami yesterday," Premier Bligh told Sky News.

"[So] a potentially gruesome day for our emergency workers and a heart breaking day for families who are still holding out hope. So difficult times there."

Ms Bligh said the town of Lowood, east of Toowoomba, had experienced flooding overnight and left families stranded on rooftops.

"We're conducting helicopter rescues there I think as we speak. So a very terrifying night if you can imagine getting to your rooftop at 3am in the morning. And some of them I think involve children."

Ms Bligh said that water was now flowing down into the Brisbane River system and that the Brisbane River had burst its banks at the suburb of Yeronga, causing flooding into a parkland area. Houses are expected to go under in the next couple of hours.

"This flood is coming and it has started in Brisbane," she warned.

There are major concerns for safety as debris and boats whipped along the Brisbane River in the churning, fast-flowing maelstrom.

Locals are in awe of the speed and ferocity with which the river burst its banks overnight into this morning, ripping whole sections of jetties away and sending them spinning downstream in the raging torrents.

Just before 7am (AEST) the river was still rising rapidly.

The water had entirely engulfed the lower promenade at Eagle Street Pier, in the city's entertainment precinct, flooding dozens of restaurants and threatening many more.

A unmanned catamaran tugged at its fraying moorings.

A small speedboat drifted past, still attached to its pontoon, with a serenity which belied the river's now fierce nature.

Some boat owners opted to brave the imminent danger and move their vessels downstream.

Evacuations continued in Brisbane overnight, although exact numbers are not available.

Two evacuation centres will be operating including the centre at QEII Stadium on Kessells Road at Nathan, in the city's south, as well as the RNA Showgrounds at Bowen Hills.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said more than 6500 residents are expected to need the centres because they don't have family or friends to stay with.

The Brisbane City Council would consider whether a third and possibly fourth centre were needed later this morning.

Many CBD businesses have also been forced to shut up shop with about 100,000 city customers this morning bracing to be denied power.

"We would have catastrophic situations if we did not shut down power," Premier Bligh said.

The Brisbane River is still expected to peak at high tide tomorrow at around 2pm or 3pm, although many homes will be flooded before then.

"Right across this region, this river is creating chaos, terrifying people and causing damage already," Ms Bligh said.

"I don't want to be in a position where we can't look after evacuees who turn up on our doorsteps," Mr Newman told ABC Radio today.

Fifteen hundred Ipswich residents have been moved into evacuation centres as the city prepares for its worst-ever flood.

Local councillor Paul Tully said the situation was chaotic after the waters rose six metres in 12 hours.

"Goodna is slowly sinking as the Brisbane River rages through the suburb," he said.

The major highway, the Ipswich motorway, is under water at Goodna and two service stations had been inundated, he said.

About 20,000 homes and businesses are without power in Ipswich, and about 50,000 places do not have power across the southeast region.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard told the Seven Network that seven additional helicopters would made available to assist the search and rescue effort bringing to 15 the total number of helicopters in Queensland.

Additional C-130 Hercules aircraft were also being used to "make sure that there are supplies particularly for regional Queensland where townships are cut off".

"We do have 700 defence personnel on a notice to move should that be necessary in order to assist the people of Queensland. So on the defence force side more is being done," she said.

Ms Gillard said the defence force effort would be increased as necessary as the crisis evolved.

The Prime Minister warned of further bad news today.

Additional reporting: Joe Kelly, AAP