A multi-day soaking is set to deliver hundreds of millimetres of rain to parts of central and southern Queensland over the next four days, with flooding likely from Friday into the weekend.

Stalled low pressure trough to cause days of rain and storms

A low pressure trough will stall over central and southern Qld from Thursday to Sunday and interact with a large mass of tropical moisture to cause widespread rain and thunderstorms.

A blocking high pressure system centred over the Tasman Sea will help to keep this rain-bearing weather pattern in place, resulting in four days of rain and storms over central and southern parts of Qld.

Rain and storms from Thursday to Sunday

Thursday will feature widespread showers and thunderstorms across Qld, particularly across southern parts of the state. While Thursday’s rain is unlikely to cause widespread flooding, it will dampen the ground and prime the landscape for flooding in the coming days. Severe storms may also cause isolated areas of flash flooding in Qld on Thursday.

Friday will see more intense rain and thunderstorms developing over central and southeast Qld. This heavy rain and severe storm activity should develop from overnight Thursday into Friday morning and will likely continue throughout Friday.

Further rain and thunderstorms will hit central and southern Qld on Saturday and Sunday, with potential for more heavy rain and flooding. Some computer models predict heavy rain over parts of southeast Qld on both Saturday and Sunday, possibly enough to cause further flooding.

Rain and thunderstorms will also affect other areas of northern, central and eastern Australia during the remainder of this week. This includes a threat of heavy rain and flooding in far northeast NSW.

Hundreds of millimetres possible

Some areas in central and southeast Qld and northern NSW could see 100 to 200 mm of rain between Thursday and Sunday this week. Computer models indicate the potential for more than 300 mm in southeast Qld and far northeast NSW over this four-day period.

Image: Forecast accumulated rain over the next seven days. Source: Weatherzone.

While there is a high amount of uncertainty regarding exactly where and how much rain will fall over the next four days, there are clear signs that flooding is a high risk over central and southeast Qld from Friday into the weekend. This flood threat also extends into far northeast NSW.

How to stay safe during flooding

Some roads may become impassable as flooding develops over Qld and northeast NSW later this week. Anyone living in these areas should keep an eye on the latest warnings over the next few days and take the following steps to keep safe:

Don’t enter floodwater. This includes driving, walking or swimming.

Obey road signs and plan ahead before travelling through flooded areas.

Avoid flooded drains, rivers, streams and other waterways.

Check the Queensland Government website for local emergency warnings and advice.

Contact the SES on 132 500 for emergency assistance. In life-threatening situations, call 000 (triple zero).