Three thousand homes in Ipswich, southwest of Brisbane, are now under water and 1500 people have gone to evacuation centres, with the predicted flood peak still three hours away.

Peaking river levels in Brisbane could have a devastating effect this evening, with almost 20,000 homes expected to be swamped by tomorrow. Meanwhile, 56,000 homes and businesses are without power and a fire has started at Suncorp Stadium.

Up to 33 per cent of Ipswich, 40km south-west of Brisbane, could be underwater in hours, with floodwaters from the Bremer River, which have already submerged entire blocks of the CBD, set to peak around 2pm (NZT).

A NZ Civil Defence worker who is part of a team helping residents of Queensland is overwhelmed by the scale of the devastation.

Amid tales of tragedy and heroism in the devastating floods, there's always some clowns.

Brisbane is bracing for a high tide this afternoon as thousands evacuate due to flooding in Queensland that has left 10 dead and another 90 missing.

Internet trolls have defaced a Facebook site paying tribute to the victims of the Queensland floods.

Police say they are confident a body found on a lake near Rotorua this morning is that of a missing teenage jetskier.

The search for a paua diver missing at Titahi Bay in Porirua resumed at first light today.

Bystanders watched in horror as a woman only centimetres from her rescuer lost her grip on a power pole and disappeared under a torrent of dirty water during flash floods in Queensland.

Police and Navy divers are continuing searching into the evening for the body of a teenage boy presumed dead after a jetski accident on a lake near Rotorua, while family and friends continue to hold vigil on the shoreline.

Police have named the paua diver missing in Titahi Bay in Porirua, who they believe may still be alive.

Rising gas levels have again stopped workers trying to recover the bodies of 29 men trapped inside the Pike River Coal mine today.

Police say a paua diver missing in Titahi Bay in Porirua may still be alive.

More than 40 people are searching for a diver missing near Titahi Bay, Porirua, since last night.

Navy divers using sophisticated sonar equipment have begun an attempt to find the body of teenage boy presumed dead after a jetski accident.

A teenager who allegedly ran over another on his jetski has been helping in the search for his missing schoolmate.

The search for a teenage boy presumed dead after a jetski accident continues today while family hold a non-stop vigil.

There is a search on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour this morning.

Police are searching for a 68-year-old man missing overnight in the New Lynn area of west Auckland.

A 90-year-old grandmother was happy and embarrassed that so many people had been looking for her.

After 54 hours in the open, missing 90-year-old June Wickman was found alive by her grandsons yesterday, amazing rescuers.

Queensland is losing up to $131m a day in coal exports over floods which have left 40 towns isolated or partly underwater.

The body found near Matarangi on the Coromandel Peninsula yesterday has been identified as that of missing teenager Cem Erbay. The death is being treated as suspicious.