More rain forecast after town flooded, roads cut

Heavy rain has lashed an already-soaked southeast Queensland, with more wet weather to come. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

Roads have been cut, schools closed and a town flooded - yet more rain is on the way for Queensland's southeast.

Overnight downpours led to significant flooding in the region on Tuesday, with severe thunderstorms bringing even heavier showers in some areas.

Thousands lost power, more than 20 schools were closed, almost 100 roads were cut and 39 swiftwater rescues were completed as rain lashed the area.

More rain is expected to hit flood-ravaged southeast Queensland in the coming days.

Some of the worst hit were north of Brisbane in the Moreton Bay area as well as Bray Park and the Sunshine Coast, while Lockyer Valley further west was also inundated.

Samford received 351mm of rain, Caboolture 263mm and Bells Creek South a whopping 231mm in six hours.

In the Lockyer Valley, people at Laidley could only look on as the township was claimed by floodwaters.

"I understand that in Laidley the river broke its banks - it is over the bridge," Queensland Premier Steven Miles said.

"It's peaked with about six to eight inches of water through the CBD, the main street and about three or four blocks back." 

Evacuation centres were set up at Laidley and in the Moreton Bay area where the SES responded to 100 calls for help with Caboolture, Strathpine, Beachmere and Morayfield hit hard by floodwaters.

"I don't know whether it's a one-in-200 or one-in-2000-year event," Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery told ABC Radio.

People at Bray Park woke up to rising floodwaters that claimed dozens of homes and cars.

Mr Miles they would not be able to fully assess the damage until Wednesday as crews kept being pulled away to do swiftwater rescues.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned there is more rain to come.

A severe weather warning is current from north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast up to Bundaberg, with six-hourly rainfall totals between 80mm and 150mm possible through to Wednesday morning.

"If we see more of those severe thunderstorms, those top totals could be somewhere between 150mm and 250mm of rain over the next 24 hours - that could lead to more flooding," a bureau spokesman said.

Flooded trucks
Queensland flood watches are current from the southeast up to Emerald and inland past Charleville.

There are flood warnings through much of southeast Queensland from the southeast up to Emerald and inland past Charleville.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met SES and energy workers who had helped residents in the Townsville region in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Kirrily.

The last of the 66,000 homes that lost power was set to be reconnected on Tuesday.

"It is good that the anticipated damage is much less than what was thought," Mr Albanese said.

The remnants of Kirrily are still causing wet weather around Mount Isa in northwest Queensland days after the cyclone crossed the coast.

At Winton, all rural roads are cut with some properties set to be isolated for six to eight weeks due to floodwaters.

"Some of the crossings are at the highest (flood levels) some graziers have ever seen them," Winton Mayor Gavin Baskett told AAP.

Floodwaters had also claimed Kynuna further north, including the famous Blue Heeler Hotel.

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