Brisbane, Gold Coast hit by floods

Flooding in Mooloolah, Sunshine Coast. Photo / Sunshine Coast Daily

Storms have dumped tonnes of water on to southeast Queensland in the last three days, flooding low-lying areas and causing homes to be evacuated.

Twenty Brisbane residences were evacuated, power lost to more than 20,000 homes and schools and roads closed as teeming rain and winds to 100km/hr swept across the southeast of the state, the Brisbane Courier-Mail reported.

Worst hit was low-lying Deagon in Brisbane's north where homes were cleared as a creek overflowed when the incoming tide coincided with heavy run-off.

Deputy Premier Paul Lucas warned Queenslanders they should brace for worse weather to come.

The rain eased back to showers last night with falls generally less than 10mm in the six hours from midnight to 6am and the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a further decrease this afternoon.

On the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, traditional favourite holiday spots for New Zealanders, gale force winds lashed the resort towns.

Waves offshore rose to 7m while wind gusts over 100km/hr were reported.

- AGENCIES