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

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.

The death toll from flooding in the Toowoomba region has risen to 12 with the discovery of two more bodies, while the full impact of the flood terror is now reaching the town of Grantham, where up to 30 could be dead.

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.