Queenslanders are being warned to brace themselves for the wet weekend with heavy rainfall, flash flooding and severe thunderstorms starting on Saturday as Tropical Cyclone Owen hurtles towards the east.
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The cyclone is moving towards the state's nothern interior after crossing the south-east Gulf of Carpentaria coast between Kowanyama and Gilbert River Mouth on Saturday morning.
Despite Tropical Cyclone Owen starting to transition to a tropical low category, heavy rainfall and flash flooding was expected to develop on Saturday evening, according to the weather bureau.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said 100 millimetres to 200 millimetres was possible, with thunderstorms in a six-hour period.
"The heavy rainfall may persist into Sunday, particularly about the coast, as the system moves further east or southeast towards the Coral Sea," he said.
"Damaging winds with peak gusts in excess of 90 kilometres per hour are likely near the system as it moves east over the northern interior during today, and may extend to the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands district through this afternoon and evening.
"Damaging wind gusts will also be possible about the northern beaches of Cairns during Sunday morning."
The spokesman said there was a low to moderate chance of the cyclone reforming off the east tropical coast on Sunday or Monday but would be monitored in case the risk increased.
A tropical cyclone warning also remained in place for the northern Gulf Country and southern parts of the Peninsula district.
Locations which may be affected include Chillagoe, Port Douglas, Cairns, Mareeba, Innisfail, Tully, Cardwell, Ingham, Palm Island and Townsville.
Very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms east of Biloela was expected for parts Capricornia and Wide Bay and Burnett Forecast Districts, with very heavy rain and thunderstorms east of Biloela.
This comes after the area near Biloela received 57 millimetres of rain in 30 minutes about 1.30pm.
Locations which may be affected include Gladstone, Calliope and Miriam Vale.
South-east Queenslanders were also being warned to prepare for storms.
"We’re looking at a risk of severe thunderstorms with large to very large hail stones, damaging winds and some locally heavy falls as well as associated with this," A BOM spokeswoman said.
"We could potentially see those more likely in the southern interior and the South Burnett region but also a risk around parts of the brisbane area and the gold coast as well.
"We could see particularly heavy falls as we saw yesterday."
