Flooding and severe storm warnings have been issued for parts of south-east Queensland after days of heavy rain prompted authorities to evacuate properties and advise people to stay off the roads.
See how the day unfolded in our live blog.
Key events
- BREAKING: Police have found the body of the missing Goomboorian man
- Major flood warning for the upper Brisbane and Stanley rivers
- New evacuation centre opening at Sunshine Coast University
- Emergency alert for Gympie
- Maryborough levee under construction... again
- Missing in floodwaters
- Major flooding in Gympie
- 'Not much in the way of easing'
Live updates
By Daniel Colasimone
Where to find emergency assistance and information
- For emergency assistance, contact SES QLD on 132 500.
- If your life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
- Roads and bridges may be impacted by flash flooding. You can find more information here
- For the latest weather updates visit the Bureau of Meteorology
- Other emergency updates can be found at Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
- If you're not sure what to do when there's a flood, here's the best way to plan
Listen to ABC Local Radio for regular updates:
- ABC Wide Bay on 100.1fm + 855am or stream online
- ABC Brisbane on 612am or online
- ABC Sunshine Coast on 90.3FM Nambour and Gympie 95.3FM or the live stream
By Daniel Colasimone
Wrapping up coverage for today
We'll be back in the morning with all the latest news on south-east Queensland's unfolding weather crisis.
Thanks for joining us.
By Daniel Colasimone
Two months, two floods: Heritage city builds levee to protect businesses
By Daniel Colasimone
Brisbane Lord Mayor issues flood warning for tomorrow morning
Mr Schrinner says it's an estimate, but:
"This could result in water entering several thousand properties in the orange highlighted areas including Brisbane city, Bulimba, Hamilton, Milton, New Farm, Newstead, Norman Park, Oxley, Rocklea, South Brisbane, St Lucia, Teneriffe, Toowong, West End, Windsor and Yeronga."
He warns: "Residents in low-lying areas should make sure they’re prepared. Stock up on sandbags at our depots, ensure your household has essentials and know when it’s time to leave."
By Daniel Colasimone
'Dangerous' flooding 'going to get worse' on Sunshine Coast
By Daniel Colasimone
Search for person who fell into Brisbane River
Police say they are searching the Brisbane River for a person who fell in the water near Breakfast Creek.
Police were called at 4:45pm.
Both land and water police are involved in the search.
Due to the tidal flow the search is stretching towards the Gateway Bridge.
By Daniel Colasimone
The new evacuation centre at Sunshine Coast Uni is now open
It should provide some refuge for those stuck on the Bruce Highway.
By Daniel Colasimone
BREAKING: Police have found the body of the missing Goomboorian man
Some more sad news.
Police have recovered the body of a 37-year-old Goomboorian man who went missing in floodwaters overnight.
Following an extensive search, Police Dive Squad officers located the body in floodwaters in Goomboorian, near Gympie, at about 3.20pm.
Police are investigating the circumstances leading up to his death and will prepare a report for the coroner.
Five people have now lost their lives in the severe weather conditions.
By Daniel Colasimone
Major flood warning for the upper Brisbane and Stanley rivers
By Daniel Colasimone
Lockyer Valley residents searching for loved ones who may not have phone access
By Daniel Colasimone
Only one runway open at Brisbane Airport
A message from the airport:
PSA: Due to flooding of runway access taxiways, the legacy runway is currently closed. All air traffic is using the new runway on Saturday 26 February, and this may need to continue overnight. Whilst the new runway is not normally used for flights over the city between 10pm and 6am, such operations may be unavoidable this evening.
By Daniel Colasimone
New evacuation centre opening at Sunshine Coast University
The evacuation centre will be in the university's stadium, with opening times to be announced soon.
It will assist the motorists stranded on the Bruce Highway near Steve Irwin Way.
The region is running out of sandbags at the public collection points. The SES will still have bags for vulnerable people.
Sunshine Coast police are urging motorists to keep off the roads.
The Bruce Highway is closed near Caboolture and Gympie.
There are near 300 cars being turned around at Steve Irwin Way.
It will become dangerous come nightfall with the amount of water on the roads.
By Daniel Colasimone
The latest severe weather warning from BOM
For heavy rainfall and damaging winds.
For people in Southeast Coast and parts of Wide Bay and Burnett and Darling Downs and Granite Belt Forecast Districts.
Issued at 4:25 pm Saturday, 26 February 2022.
By Daniel Colasimone
Gympie businesses submerged
Photos supplied by Janice Nieass.
Violet Street, Gympie, is near the banks of the Mary River.
Businesses along here are almost completely submerged.
By Daniel Colasimone
Parts of Brisbane under water
More images from around the city as Brisbanites find their suburbs inundated.
By Daniel Colasimone
Noosa flood warning ahead of high tide tomorrow
Noosa’s Disaster Management Group is warning residents in parts of Noosaville and Tewantin to prepare for inundation, with Noosa River set to peak at 1.7 metres by tomorrow’s high tide at 5.40am.
Memorial Avenue, Hilton Esplanade, Hilton Terrace, Gympie Terrace, Cloudsley Street, parts of Eumundi Noosa Road, Hygieta Street, Janet Street, Robert Street and Lake Weyba Drive are at the highest risk.
Flooding is also expected to impact the lower ends of Moorindil Street, Carramar Street as well as Burgess Drive near Beckmans Road.
Noosa North Shore is also set to be heavily impacted.
Residents of these areas are urged to check the major flood level modelling maps at disaster.noosa.qld.gov.au.
By Daniel Colasimone
Wivenhoe over 100 per cent capacity for drinking water - but it can hold much more
Seqwater says Wivenhoe has topped 100 per cent of its drinking water capacity, but a spokesman says the dam can actually hold much more water than that.
"There is a lot more in fact, about 2 million more mega litres of supply that this dam can take at this point in time," he said.
For context, drinking supply level of Wivenhoe Dam is about 1.165 million mega litres.
Some water was released from the dam last night for about an hour last night and more will be released dwon the track.
"Future releases will be looked at through the lens of the flood manuals Seqwater operate by and through the lens of when rain and river levels subside," he said.
By Daniel Colasimone
