Queensland awash after torrential rain

Map showing Queensland's Central Highlands region.

Evacuation centres have been set up in Queensland's Central Highlands following major flooding overnight which has brought the area to a standstill.

Up to 300mm of rain was recorded in some parts of the region.

"You can't go north, south, east or west from Emerald at the moment," Central Highlands Regional Council mayor Peter Maguire said.

"The water's just taking its time to get away and when you get 200mm of rain in six hours it moves through the system very slowly.

"People around here are very panicky because we were flooded in 2008, and we've got possible inundation in some houses if the water keeps backing up, but right now the rain's headed east and looks like easing for a while."

A Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) spokesman told AAP the tiny town of Calen, about 55km north of Mackay, was the worst hit while Emerald and the surrounding areas received up 160mm of rain.

Mr Maguire said a caravan park at Sapphire and another nearby at Rubyvale, in the Gemfields west of Emerald, had been evacuated and local halls have been set up as evacuation centres.

- AAP