A man is missing and another man and his five dogs have been killed in southern Queensland floods with warnings of more severe weather.
The man in his 40s and a woman in another car both became stranded in fast-flowing floodwaters while trying to cross Spring Creek on Stirling Road in North Branch, near Toowoomba, about 6am on Monday.
Police say onlookers managed to help the woman to safety, but the man didn't make it to dry land.
"A man in his 40's has exited the second vehicle, of which he was the sole occupant, and been swept away in flood waters," police said in a statement.
Police, Queensland Fire and Emergency Service swiftwater rescue crews and a RACQ Lifeflight Rescue helicopter were still searching for the man at 11.30am.
He disappeared about an hour before another man and five dogs were killed when their ute was washed away at Kingsthorpe, northwest of Toowoomba.
The swiftwater crews rescued a woman who was also in the car, but the man and the dogs didn't survive.
"A man was located deceased in the ute. A number of dogs also died," police said in a statement.
QFES also rescued another two drivers stranded in floodwaters at Greenmount and at Drayton, south of Toowoomba, on Monday.
Meanwhile, Western Downs Regional Council has issued an emergency alert for residents in low-lying areas of Dalby to prepare to flee major floods.
It said Myall Creek was already at a minor flood level and expected reach a major flood peak by Tuesday morning.
"Properties in low lying areas should warn neighbours, secure property and belongings, and prepare to move to higher ground," the council's alert said.
The Bureau of Meteorology has placed much of southern and southeast Queensland on flood watch as a coastal trough moves over the land on Monday.
The deluge comes less than a month after record floods killed 13 people and damaged thousands of homes and business during the wettest February in 130 years.
The forecaster said heavy rainfall between 80 and 140mm and up to 180mm in six hours could hit between Double Island Point inland to Crows Nest to Warwick on Monday and Tuesday.
The forecaster also warned of possible intense rainfall of up to 200mm, that could bring "dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding" in parts of the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Maroochydore, Caboolture, Coolangatta and Ipswich.
Seqwater has already started flood releases from the Somerset Dam and said it would release water from the downstream Wivenhoe Dam into the Brisbane River in the next six to 12 hours.
"If you are downstream of the dam, stay away from fast flowing or deep water near waterways and floodplains," the utility said.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said there's a risk of renewed flooding on low-lying parts of the city with the ground still saturated from the recent floods.
Gold Coast Council acting mayor Donna Gates said the city has opened sandbagging stations at Pimpama, Burleigh Heads and Bilinga ahead of the predicted deluge.
"Who would have thought we'd be right back in this position so quickly," she told reporters.
"The most important message of all for everyone is: if it's flooded, forget it. Don't go near water in either on foot or in vehicles."
