Flash Flooding, Rescues After Major Storms

A supplied image obtained on Dec. 2, 2024, shows a Queensland Fire and Rescue Service sign warning against entering floodwaters during heavy rainfall at Hardys Road in Mudgeeraba, Queensland. AAP Image/Supplied by City of Gold Coast, via Queensland Fire Department

Australia’s east coast has been battered by severe storms, causing flash flooding, swamping cars and forcing drivers to call for help.

A brutal thunderstorm on Sunday battered Brisbane, turning roads into rivers and waterlogging cars.

More than 50mm was recorded in 30 minutes in Brisbane City while surrounding suburbs bore the brunt with 70mm falling at Rosalie in an hour and 77mm at Holland Park West.

Further south, Upper Springbrook on the Gold Coast recorded more than 260mm of rain in the last 24 hours.

“Even though the totals may not have been particularly massive, it fell very quickly,” Bureau of Meteorology’s Daniel Hayes told AAP on Monday.

“Given that we had a significant amount of rain the day before as well, and we’ve had a fair bit over the previous few weeks, pretty much everything that fell yesterday became run off and that did lead to that flash flooding that we saw.”

Video footage showed water turning Brisbane’s Roma Street into a river while southern suburbs like East Brisbane and Stones Corner became lakes due to floodwaters.

Queensland’s SES received 91 storm-related calls in the last 24 hours, mostly in the Moreton Bay, Brisbane and Logan areas.

Queensland’s Fire Department reported four water rescues including three cars trapped in floodwaters and one for a trapped kayak.

Police responded to several incidents of people isolated or impacted by floodwater.

Weatherzone’s Brett Dutschke said the rainfall total at Highvale in the Moreton Bay region—128mm—was the highest December day in more than 60 years.

Meanwhile, Sydney clocked more than 25mm of rain in an hour as wild weather threw train services into chaos on Sunday.

Affluent suburbs in the city’s east experienced flash flooding with video footage capturing the moment restaurants in Bondi flooded and streets in Double Bay were awash with water.

NSW SES responded to almost 200 calls for help including one family rescued from a car that was struck by a tree during a thunderstorm.

Victoria and Tasmania also saw high rainfall totals with Cape Nelson recording 57mm—the highest December day in 25 years—and 40mm in Canberra, the most significant in December day in 10 years, Weatherzone said.

The bureau says the worst of the wet weather is over for Sydney and Brisbane with significant storm activity escalating in northern South Australia and the Northern Territory on Monday.

“It’s actually fairly active through those areas at the moment, along the trough line, and that will continue through most of the day,” Hayes said.

“Then that activity pushes into western NSW and western Queensland, and western Victoria later in the day and into tomorrow.”

A severe thunderstorm warning is also in place for northern Queensland around Georgetown with 50mm of rain in 30 minutes at Brennans Knob on Monday morning.