Overview
- A severe weather warning targets the Townsville–Bowen coast with six‑hourly totals of 80–150mm and isolated falls above 200mm, creating a genuine flash‑flood risk.
- The Flinders River has peaked around 10.9–11.0 metres at some gauges and is expected to remain above major flood thresholds well into next week, with other rivers still elevated.
- Road closures span key highways across the Gulf and north‑west, leaving multiple towns cut off and travellers stranded as authorities caution isolation may last for days.
- Emergency services confirm a man in his 70s died in floodwaters near Normanton, and officials warn against entering inundated areas as hazards, including crocodiles, have been reported.
- The Bureau of Meteorology is monitoring a Coral Sea tropical low with a low chance of cyclone development early next week, while widespread riverine flooding is forecast to persist for weeks even as rain eases inland.