Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
National
Laine Clark and Rex Martinich

Flooding threat lifted, storms ahead for rain-hit area

Authorities continue mopping up around Kingaroy, with a break from the rain expected for a few days. (HANDOUT/QUEENSLAND STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE)

An overflowing dam is no longer threatening a rain-lashed community but the flooding threat may return with more storms on the horizon.

An emergency "watch and act" alert has been cancelled for Jandowae Creek northwest of Brisbane in a welcome reprieve after heavy rainfall across Queensland.

The warning had been issued by the Western Downs Council on Thursday, with residents warned to "prepare now" for potential evacuation due to the local dam level.

Heavy rain hit central and southern Queensland early on Thursday after a New Year's Eve downpour, prompting the rescue of three people including a child from floodwaters.

Showers ensured the spillway of the dam located upstream from the town of Jandowae and farming properties had exceeded the moderate flood level of 0.5m.

Western Downs Mayor Andrew Smith on Friday said the alert had been cancelled but urged residents to keep an eye on flood warnings with storms forecast for next week.

"Even though the alert has been lifted, it won't take much rain to get water to rise again as the catchment is so wet," he told AAP.

'But for the next few days there no concerns."

Cr Smith said he was not aware of major flood damage in his area despite enduring a wet week.

"We have had beautiful rain in the region and at this stage damage is minimal," he said.

"We will wait and see what happens. Next week will be interesting with more storms predicted."

Storm buffets Mackay (file)
Rain shifted north, with Mackay receiving more than 118mm in 24 hours including 80mm in an hour. (Daryl Wright/AAP PHOTOS)

The nearby South Burnett region was not so lucky after copping record-breaking rain.

The area is in recovery mode after flooding caused "massive damage" to local roads, with Mayor Kathy Duff warning it may take "months if not years" to repair.

The town of Kingaroy in the South Burnett area had already suffered damage to homes and businesses from "one-in-100 year" flood conditions on New Year's Eve.

The region received a welcome break from the wet on Friday, with low or no rainfall in the past 24 hours - a trend likely to continue for a few days.

"We are looking at a drying trend through the south-eastern parts of Queensland, including around Kingaroy and the Burnett catchment in general," the Bureau of Meteorology's Daniel Hayes told AAP.

Rain has shifted to the north, with Mackay receiving more than 118mm in 24 hours including 80mm in an hour.

Queensland's east coast is set to become one of the few areas to receive rain on Saturday, with isolated and light showers forecast south of Mackay.

"For the northern half of the coast those showers could be a little more frequent and a little heavier but still tapping out at perhaps locally moderate rainfall," the bureau's Angus Hines said.

"Inland, it's another hot, dry day. We won't see those showers pushing across to western Queensland.

"There will be certainly some dry areas across southeast Queensland."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.