ROADS are cut and residents are bracing for flash flooding as a low pressure system hovers over Townsville bringing widespread rain.
Sandbags have been made available to residents for free to help to prepare their homes from potential floodwaters.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a warning for the region with up to 350mm expected to fall in some areas within 24 hours.
The BOM said affected locations include Charters Towers, Townsville, Palm Island, Ingham, Ayr, Mingela, Giru, Alva Beach, Einasleigh, Lyndhurst Station, Rollingstone and Gregory Springs.
The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group held an emergency meeting this morning and emergency services and the SES are on stand-by to assist.
Deputy Local Disaster Management Group Chair Cr Kurt Rehbein said authorities would monitor the weather and provide updates to the community.
“Significant amounts of rain has fallen across Townsville and more is expected. We want all residents to be safe in this weather,” Cr Rehbein said.
“It’s important that motorists don’t drive in flooded roads – if it’s flooded forget it – and people take precautions to ensure they stay safe in the wet.”
Several major roads in the Upper Ross have been cut and the lower Bohle Bridge on Woolcock St at Cosgrove is closed in both directions with traffic instead being diverted over the upper bridge causing long delays.
Chicken farm workers were ferried across the swollen floodwaters on Allambie Lane at Kelso this morning to get to work, and it is unclear whether they will be able to get out as the road remains cut.
North Beck Drive is also closed in both directions between Rivergum Circuit and Gollogly Lane, while water of Herveys Range Road near Harris Crossing is restricting traffic.
Southwood Road at Stuart is also closed.
Cr Rehbein said council and SES crews were responding to sandbagging requests for residents in the Deeragun area.
“Council along with Queensland Police Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and the State Emergency Service are all monitoring the low-pressure system and are ready to respond,” he said.
“The sand and sand bags are free and anyone is welcome to pick them up and take them back to try and protect their property.
They can be picked up at Lou Litster Park behind Officeworks and at the Transport and Main Roads depot at the corner of the Bruce Highway and Mount Low Parkway.
The Bureau of Meteorology said a surface low near Townsville is forecast to deepen during today and Thursday before shifting west across the Herbert and Lower Burdekin today, and into the Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders during Thursday.
Areas of heavy rainfall are expected to accompany the low with its westward movement across north Queensland.
Six hour rainfall totals of 100mm to 180mm are possible, with isolated falls up to 220mm possible.