Heavens to open again – ‘intense’ rainfall as search continues for missing rider
A motorcyclist has been missing for more than a day amid deadly floods in southeast Queensland with more intense rainfall and damaging winds expected.
A search has resumed for the 54-year-old man near Gympie on Thursday amid fears he was swept away in flash flooding after his motocycle, helmet and bag were found near Greens Creek on Wednesday morning.
A woman, 63, has already been killed in floods triggered by a slow-moving low pressure system, which has dumped up to 600mm of rain in some parts of the southeast.
Her body was found in her car, which was submerged in floodwaters west of Eumundi, on the Sunshine Coast, on Wednesday morning.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says there were 19 flood rescues and 240 calls for help on Wednesday and Thursday morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for intense rainfall of up to 300mm possibly causing “dangerous and life-threatening flash floods from Maryborough to the NSW border from Thursday afternoon.
The forecaster is also warning of possibly damaging winds, with gusts of up to 90km/h from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast.
The premier urged southeast residents to keep watch of alerts and avoid going out if possible.
“Our message is very clear to people this afternoon: please listen to your radio, social media, television,” Ms Palaszczuk told parliament on Thursday.
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“Please keep up to date to see what is happening, especially if you’re planning to go out this evening and probably during the pickup time this afternoon for (school) children.”
There is a major flood warning for Eyre Creek and moderate flood warnings for the Georgina, Mary and Stanley rivers and Tinana and Six Mile creeks.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was a tough time for Queensland, adding no one wanted to see any more loss of life.
After weeks of drenching summer rain, many catchments could not cope with the downpour and began spilling on Wednesday and through the early hours of Thursday.
The Southeast Coast and the Wide Bay-Burnett region bore the brunt on Wednesday with Burnett, Burrum and Cherwell, Mary, Noosa, Pine, Caboolture, Brisbane, Logan and Albert, Condamine rivers beyond capacity as well as rivers and creeks on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
