South-east Queensland’s severe weather is now focused on the Gold Coast, where beaches are closed and a large wave has already turned a car into a sand sculpture.
The storm has flooding in many parts of the south-east and one person has died.
State Emergency Service (SES) crews are still responding to about 1,000 calls for assistance, ranging from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast and out west as far as Ipswich. Conditions have eased in Brisbane.
The Courier-Mail reports that Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says two more motorists were rescued this morning and authorities are becoming fed up.
“I think they’ve been reckless and stupid and they don’t realise the danger they’re putting themselves and their passengers in,” she said.
“Swift water rescues are some of the most dangerous situations that our rescue workers face and we should be avoiding any risk to them and ourselves and our passengers.
A 47-year-old man died yesterday after he was hit by flying glass from a shattered office window in Surfers Paradise and pounding surf is causing erosion on Gold Coast beaches. All beaches are closed for a second day as the south-east continues to feel the effects of the heavy weather.
Despite the rain easing in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, Ms Bligh warned: “We are not out of the woods yet”.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has issued a severe weather warning for Thursday for coastal areas south of the Sunshine Coast to the NSW border.
Mr Davidson said Brisbane had a “one chance in three” we’ll see another rain event in the next day, although it was not expected to be of the same intensity as Wednesday.
Moderate to heavy falls are expected as the low pressure system moves south with flood warnings in force for coastal streams between Noosa and Coolangatta.
Wind gusts of up to 100km/h are expected near the coast and adjoining inland areas south of Brisbane but should be felt only on the southern Gold Coast on Thursday.
Tides will be higher than normal and may exceed the highest tide levels of the year, threatening low lying coastal areas.
Dangerous surf conditions along Queensland’s southeast coast are expected to continue for the rest of the week.
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