Weather warnings for the lower North Island and the Catlins have been removed, but Aucklanders can expect a wet and wild evening.

New Zealand could face strong winds and rain from a tropical cyclone battering the Pacific Islands with winds of up to 225km/hr.

The threat of looting is making Queensland flood victims reluctant to evacuate their properties.

Find out what people are saying about the Queensland floods in social media.

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.

Toowoomba boy Jordan Rice, 13, has been remembered as a hero after he let his younger brother be rescued first.

Back on January 1 authorities said Queensland was facing a flood of "biblical proportions". Now, almost two weeks later, and it's hard to fathom that the "worst is yet to come" as unprecedented flooding hits the drought ravaged region.

A Kiwi living in Brisbane described the city as total chaos yesterday as people were evacuated.