Bruce Highway flooded after more than 200mm of rain in half a day

The Bruce Highway is closed, cutting off traffic to Cairns’ south, after severe flash flooding at a Far North farming town left three stranded on a flooded train.

Despite road closures, cars have been spotted trying to traverse flood waters in Tully, south of Cairns. Picture: Alannah Dansie/ Facebook

The Bruce Highway is closed, cutting off traffic to Cairns’ south, after severe flash flooding at a Far North farming town left three stranded on a flooded train.

The Bruce Highway was closed around 9am on Saturday morning in both direction at Silky Oak and Tully, roughly 140km from Cairns, due to heavy rain over parts of region.

There has been 280mm in six hours this morning at Tully in North Queensland. Photo: Alannah Dansie/Facebook.

The Bureau of Meteorology reported at 8:30am on Saturday morning Tully received 280mm of rain in six hours while the nearby holiday town of South Mission Beach received 238mm in the same period.

A spokeswoman for Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said Swift Water rescue crews evacuated three people from a train stuck in flood waters along the Bruce Highway at Tully around 5:30am on Saturday morning.

The Bruce highway is closed in both direction due to heavy rain and flash flooding in the Far North town of Tully. Picture: X/ Queensland Fire and Emergency

The spokeswoman said crews were able to access the train carriage fairly easily and all three passengers were transported to dry land by 7:20am.

Four swift water rescue crews also attended a call in Japoonvale, just north of Tully, on Silkwood Japoon road where they found two people stranded in the middle of flood water.

The QFES spokeswoman said the pair had been in a car when flood waters rose but had managed to escape to higher ground before the car washed away.

Rescue technicians were able to access the pair and delivered them to safety by around 11:15am.

She warned residents to keep away from flood waters.

“Don’t go near them, no driving through them, no sightseeing, with that amount of rain in such a short time span, flash flooding is a real risk,” she said.

The Bruce Highway is closed in both direction due to heavy rain and flash flooding in the Far North town of Tully. Picture: X/ Queensland Fire and Emergency

Areas between Innisfail and Cardwell received in excess of 100mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday morning, including 458mm at Tully transfer station, 415mm at Bulgun Creek and 305mm at Davidson Creek.

A moderate flood warning for the Tully River and a flood warning Murray River was issued on Saturday morning with significant river and creek level rises due to the downpour.

Silkwood Japoon Road between Silkwood and Japoonvale and Tully Mission Beach road between the coast at the Bruce Highway are also closed due to flash flooding and heavy rain.

A severe thunderstorm warning for the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands region put out on Saturday morning has now been cancelled by the BOM.

Originally published as Bruce Highway flooded after more than 200mm of rain in half a day