The southeast corner of Queensland has taken a battering from the weather during the day, and it’s only expected to get worse during the evening.

Up to 400mm of rain is expected in some areas before the low system and trough causing the problems move away.

Residents in low-lying areas are sandbagging their properties against flooding and preparing for gale force winds.

Roxanne Jeynes reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The weather bureau has been warning of foul and nasty weather, heavy rain and some flooding to increase during the day.

And the rough conditions hit the coastal areas first with choppy seas.

Most boaties, although apparently not this one, avoided the weather.

Residents in dozens of suburbs have been battening down for what could be gale force winds.

The council is providing sandbags in suburbs like Zillmere, Darra, Morningside, Lota and Newmarket, where local flooding is likely.

Rod Bernard, Local Resident: “This is the first time ever I’ve had to pick up sandbags, I think the intensity of the storm is what makes it particularly different this time.”

For most of the day, Brisbane had escaped any heavy rain, but by midday things had changed with the big wet setting in.

It’s predicted we will witness cyclone-like conditions with heavy rain affecting much of the south-east coast.

Forecasts suggest Brisbane could get between 200 and 400mm of rain, with wind gusts up to 90kph.

Popular Mt Coot-tha was empty today.

The tourists stayed away, except for this visitor from Sydney.

Shreyas Vimalkumar, Tourist: “Heard a lot about Mt Coot-tha, we’re here, but unfortunately we can’t see anything ’cause of the rain, unfortunately I think it’s following me, fingers crossed it doesn’t follow us to the Gold coast.”

Further down south, the Gold Coast did also experienced a relatively calm morning, but as the day progressed the weather deteriorated.

Minor flooding forced the closure of some roads in the hinterland.

The low is predicted to intensify throughout the evening.

Gold Coast beaches remained closed all day, battered by massive waves and high tides that could cause erosion along the Coast.

The wet weather, however, is seeing some happy retailers.

Andy Last, Shop Manager, Australia the Gift: “I think that probably 80-90% of sales so far have been umbrellas.”

And we are being warned to keep those umbrellas handy until conditions ease at 4am tomorrow morning.

Roxanne Jeynes, QUT News.