Queensland’s southeast is braced for a battering from an east-coast low packing torrential rain and damaging winds.
The low is expected to dump between 200 and 400mm of rain across the already sodden region.
The Sunshine Coast will be first to feel the effects, with wild weather expected there from later on Friday morning.
Brisbane and the Gold Coast will be next as the system tracks south towards the NSW.
‘It’ll be mostly in the afternoon and into the evening for the Brisbane area and it will be quite intense for a number of hours, particularly near the coast where the winds will be strong as well,’ Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Peter Otto told the ABC.
As well as torrential rain and the risk of flash flooding, residents have been warned to expect winds gusting up to 90km/h.
Dangerous surf conditions are expected at Fraser Island, and at Sunshine and Gold Coast beaches.
‘The dangerous surf conditions are likely to produce significant beach erosion for these areas today and early Saturday,’ the bureau has warned.
A flood watch is current for parts of the Capricornia, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Wide Bay and Burnett, Southeast Coast, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Maranoa and Warrego forecast districts.