If you live in South East Queensland, get ready for severe weather conditions over the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours.

The weather Bureau says the situation will rapidly evolve.

Emergency Services are urging people to be prepared, drive carefully and not to take any risks.

Heidi Sheehan reports.

TRANSCRIPT

Heavy rain is on the way and the message for South East Queenslanders is clear.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Ad: “So whatever you drive, if it’s flooded forget it.”

With up to 400 millimetres predicted for some areas Emergency Services are asking people to use common sense over the next couple of days.

Jo-Ann Miller Emergency Services Minister: “Please stay out of the water, please stay out of flooded roads and if it’s flooded, forget it.”

Graham Quirk, Lord Mayor of Brisbane: “People need to secure loose items around their yards. This is the same message we always give in times of very, very windy events.”

There are five sandbag depots across Brisbane and these people aren’t taking any chances.

Vox 1: “We heard that they were giving them away so yeah, we thought we’d come down and grab a few.”

Vox 2: “Left it late last time, shed flooded. Get in early this time, get it sorted.”

The Bureau of Meteorology says these conditions aren’t unusual for this time of year… while we’ve only experience scattered showers today, they say we can expect conditions to intensify over the next 48 hours.

The East Coast low is predicted to bring 90 kilometre an hour winds and thunderstorms to the coast.

Jess Carey, Bureau of Meteorology: “Expecting that development of the east coast low off Fraser Island this evening and tonight and what that’s going to do is really direct some pretty severe weather into the south east for the 24 hours after that and even into Saturday morning.”

The rainfall stretches as far north as Rockhampton, and will be mostly coastal, but areas as far inland as Roma may experience between 10 and 30 mils.

Jess Carey, Bureau of Meteorology: “Some of these areas are going to be welcoming this rainfall… because it’s not going to produce floods, but it’s something at least in areas that really haven’t had much over the last couple of years.”

And a final message for drivers from the RACQ.

Lauren Ritchie, RACQ: “We are unfortunately expecting to see a lot of crashes and a lot of bingles, so slow down, turn those lights on, and give yourself a little distance between you and the car ahead of you.”

Heidi Sheehan, QUT News.