Australia Weather News

An emergency flood alert has been issued for the Gold Coast as the weather bureau warns eroded beaches could be lashed again. 

The City of Gold Coast has told people in Currumbin Valley to take action now due to major flooding. 

Currumbin Creek Road is now likely to flood and Currumbin Creek itself is now at 46.84 metres — nearly two metres above normal levels — and rising.

Homes and buildings are likely to be flooded, authorities say.

A Prepare Now alert has also been issued for Tallebudgera.

More rain expected

More rain is expected on Saturday afternoon, especially in the Currumbin and Tallebudgera catchments, and flooding could get worse quickly. 

Earlier, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said some parts of south-east Queensland could get between 50 and 100 millimetres of rain on Saturday, with elevated and coastal areas potentially seeing even higher totals, as the weather system that flooded the state's outback moves south. 

Although well short of the rainfall totals seen just a few weeks ago with ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, rivers and creeks could "respond rapidly" to even moderate rain.

"Catchments are saturated and there's very little wiggle room to absorb any further moisture," senior forecaster Felim Hanniffy said.

"So, a watch point will be that creek and river systems are likely to respond as well, with the potential for riverine and localised flash flooding."

In the Gold Coast hinterland, 24-hour rainfall totals have reached up to 200mm.

A wet weather system currently over Hervey Bay is expected to move south on Saturday afternoon, bringing more rain to the region.

Gold Coast local disaster coordinator Mark Ryan said it could bring hazardous winds of up 55 kph and another 100mm of rain.

"We're really keen for people particularly along those Tallebudgera and Currumbin catchments to really keep an eye on it," he said.

Mr Hanniffy said the heaviest rain was likely throughout Saturday, with falls set to ease by Sunday.

Not including yesterday's rain, the Brisbane CBD had registered 508mm of rainfall for March — well above the month's average of 140mm.

The Gold Coast dramatically exceeded its average rainfall for March with just under 500mm registered in the seaway gauge.

The council has opened three sandbagging stations over Thursday and Friday in preparation for the wet weather.

Yesterday Mayor Tom Tate said he was hopeful that if the rain eased by Sunday, the region would be spared the kind of flooding and damage it saw earlier this month.

However, the BOM predicted strong onshore winds, hazardous surf and significant swells along the coast — potentially eroding beaches that were smashed by massive ocean swells generated by Alfred's approach.

Mr Tate said repairs on the beaches would be paused until the rain eased.

"I can't have heavy equipment on sand that's soft, sodden," he said.

"It's going to cost us a couple of days."

But he said he was still "confident" beach works would be done by the Easter long weekend, renewing his promise to buy beer for everyone on the Gold Coast if he didn't meet the deadline.

Dams spilling

SEQ Water's Flood Operations Centre has been running 24/7 the past seven days, general manager of service continuity Matt McCahon said.

He said up to 60 millimetres was expected within the Wivenhoe catchment area today, and up to 100 millimetres could fall across the North Pine and Somerset catchments over the weekend.

SEQ Water has begun releasing water from North Pine and Somerset dams, which sit at 53.5 and 79.7 per cent full respectively.

The region's largest dam, Wivenhoe, is currently at 89.6 per cent capacity.

"With the anticipated rainfall moving forward, we're expecting that we might have to make some controlled gated releases, very low level, out of Wivenhoe and North Pine dams into the weekend," Mr McCahon said.

"That will all be very dependent on the rainfall."

Twenty of SEQ Water's 23 ungated dams have been spilling since Alfred passed over the south-east, he said.