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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Tory Shepherd (now) and Royce Kurmelovs (earlier)

Many Queensland schools to close as ‘unpredictable’ weather continues – as it happened

Queensland Brisbane (Geopolitical Entity) Ukraine New South Wales Australia Bureau of Meteorology Scott Morrison Annastacia Palaszczuk Vladimir Putin Russia

What we learned today, Sunday 27 February

Major rain and flooding events are continuing across Queensland, and moving into New South Wales. Hundreds of homes and businesses have been flooded or are still at risk, six people have died and one is missing.

Many Queensland schools will close to keep people safe and off the roads. The “rain bomb” and its unpredictability have caught Brisbane residents off-guard.

The Queensland government has been repeatedly questioned about the decisions on the timing of water releases from Wivenhoe Dam, and defence minister Peter Dutton has been criticised for launching a GoFundMe page for disaster relief.

A further 27 Australians with Covid died and 18,670 new cases were recorded, with 6,014 in NSW, 5,052 in Victoria, 3,571 in Queensland, 1,467 in South Australia, 495 in the Australian Capital Territory, 676 in Tasmania, 368 in the Northern Territory and 1,027 in Western Australia.

Australia will provide “lethal aid” to Ukraine as Russia’s invasion continues. Prime minister Scott Morrison said nothing was off the table.

And fabulous mullet hairstyles have been all business in the front and party in the back at the Mulletfest in NSW.

As Morrison said earlier, it’s sure to be an anxious night for many as floods continue. Stay safe, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Updated

“We want people to stay safe tonight,” Scott Morrison says, adding it’s likely to be an “anxious night” for many.

Updated

Scott Morrison is asked about defence minister Peter Dutton’s GoFundMe (see below). That “sounds to me like someone doing their job”, he says, because good local members support a community response:

I don’t understand the criticism of it, frankly – I really don’t.

Nationals senator and emergency management minister Bridget McKenzie is also in Brisbane with the PM and has given an overview of the support payments available.

Updated

Scott Morrison is also paying tribute to the Australian defence force:

[They] have been essential for many rescue operations – in fact, three lives were saved yesterday as a direct result of their actions. But as we think of that, with the six lives that have already been lost, we extend our sympathies to the families of those was lost loved ones in this terrible flood. We also have one additional person who is missing and we fear for the safety and we don’t want to see additional people added to this terrible loss of life that we’ve seen already.

Updated

Prime minister Scott Morrison is speaking now about the “very concerning situation here in Queensland” and in New South Wales, and expressing condolences for the families of those who have died:

The weather event that we are seeing here in Queensland is likely to move south and we are seeing that in northern New South Wales and elements of this weather event are expected to return to parts of southern New South Wales.

We are seeing impact right throughout everywhere from Bundaberg to the border. And all the way out to Toowoomba and particularly in places like Gympie, this is a very serious situation. And the key message that we have is it is important for people to keep safe and to remain in place where they haven’t been ordered to evacuate, this is important and people should not be driving around and looking at this event and sightseeing on those things.

If it’s flooded, forget it. This is a constant message.

Updated

A houseboat skipper had a lucky escape when his boat crashed into the new Brisbane ferry terminal and sank immediately this morning.

A film-maker who was working on location filming a car advertisement captured the crash and the sinking.

At first Matthew Porter and his colleagues feared the man had died and raised the alarm:

The houseboat was floating uncontrolled down the river and heading straight for the new ferry terminal. We saw the guy on there. The boat hit the ferry terminal.

We saw him go under the water and under the ferry terminal. We thought we had witnessed someone dying there. Some people on set were crying.

But police who were on the film set radioed the water police, who arrived to search for the man.

Porter said he had seen the wreckage of the houseboat resurface but did not see the man come up until he replayed his film and spotted the man clinging to the wreckage.

He is calling for donations to give the man once he is identified.

Brisbane police media said police would not publicly identify him.

Updated

More distressing news from Queensland. The ABC reports that a teenage boy died from a box jellyfish sting yesterday.

The boy had “several metres of tentacles wrapped around his legs and arms” when he staggered out of the water on Eimeo beach in Mackay. Volunteer lifeguards tried to save him but he died later in hospital.

Updated

Defence minister Peter Dutton’s announcement that the federal government set up a GoFundMe page for flood relief is not going down well:

Updated

There’s some more detail on the history of Wivenhoe Dam releases and the current situation in this piece from Conal Hanna:

Seqwater’s Mike Foster is also responding to questions about whether dam water should have been released earlier. He says:

Every extreme weather event we we have a manual of operations that focuses on certainty. I want to talk about certainty, that’s what’s on the ground. The inflows are coming in, that gives us absolute certainty around our releases.

Rainfall forecasts for those who’d look closely, at this particular event, the forecasts have been a little bit uncertain. We have got very large drinking water catchments so, to understand where and when that water is going to fall with great accuracy, unfortunately, we don’t have the technology or forecasting power to be able to do that.

Updated

The issue of releasing water from dams has been the source of some tense exchanges at today’s press conferences in Queensland. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was asked about the timing of releases, and whether a bigger “buffer” could have been created:

I don’t control the weather, with all due respect. I do not control the weather.

Updated

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the weather system is “unpredictable” but will start moving south by tomorrow:

Now, because there are going to be a lot of road closures, there’s going to be a lot of water around, we are making the decision today to close a lot of schools in SE Queensland. They will not be open tomorrow. And can I also encourage people to work from home tomorrow.

Because we do expect the levels around Brisbane to remain high, around Ipswich, of course, this event’s moving down to the southern ends of the Gold Coast. Logan, the Scenic Rim and we have the peak happening, as well in Maryborough. I’m urging you your children will be staying at home tomorrow and we don’t want people out on the roads. We need our emergency services to get out and about as quickly and safe as possible.

Now, also, if you are living in an area where there are, you’re prone to river rises or creek rises, now is probably the time to start thinking about your safety plan.

Updated

Here’s an update from Ailsa Schofield at the Bureau of Meteorology:

While we are seeing a contraction of this weather event further south, and the focus still remains on Brisbane and Gold Coast, we have seen some isolated shower and storm activity about the Sunshine Coast.

So just noting those areas are still seeing some rainfall activity ... and now that our catchments are so saturated, they will be responding very quickly to any rainfall. So in terms of what we’ve seen around Brisbane and the Gold Coast today, and into northern New South Wales as well, we’ve seen this widespread rainfall continue and we’ve also seen some pockets of incredibly intense rainfall.

So we’ve seen 135mm within 90 minutes and we’ve seen 152 millimetres within half an hour at Murumba Downs. Just noting the intensity of the rainfall is incredibly quick and fast and the bureau has been issuing severe thunderstorm warnings with the standard emergency warning signal.

That’s the highest level of warning that we have for these storms that are producing really large amounts of rainfall. So the forecast is still that we will continue to see this rainfall today and overnight, with some relief coming tomorrow as this system contracts south.

Updated

I’ll bring you some more details on this shortly:

Another Queensland press conference, with premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and a range of emergency bods, is on now.

State emergency service commissioner Carlene York is warning there could be more deaths and says – yet again – to stay out of the water, people:

Thankfully there hasn’t been any more deaths in addition to the six that I reported earlier this morning. However, I do want to speak about the behaviour of [people] out there at the moment and the fact that we might have more deaths as a result. This morning I spoke about the fact that we’d have 6,000 jobs in the previous two days related to water related issues.

In addition to that, there has been another 1,000 calls just in the last several hours. I want people to speak to their friends, parents to speak to their children about this behaviour, please. There are people on surfboards, people swimming, people trying to cross on waterways and the list goes on. I ask all of you that you take this seriously but you stay off the roads unless you desperately have to be on them for an emergency matter.

Updated

Sorry, New South Wales. I know you’ve already got a lot to worry about, but:

“For several days after the Russian invasion started, viewers of the channel formerly known as Russia Today were told troops were trying to “liberate” land from Ukraine on behalf of two Russian-backed breakaway states.”

Here’s Amanda Meade with some more details about Foxtel’s cancellation of RT (formerly known as Russia Today):

What a day indeed... I am a little over people in my social feeds describing it as “moist”. Thanks, Royce – and extra thanks for the excellent link to the mullet shots.

Updated

What a day! That’s it from me, so now I’ll be handing over to the inimitable Tory Shepherd to take the blog through to close.

Brisbane city council has published a map for city residents to see where flood waters are predicted to rise – though keep in mind that the situation is changing by the hour.

Updated

South Australia reports two new Covid deaths

Two people have died from Covid-19 overnight in South Australia, while 114 people have been hospitalised, 11 people are in ICU and two people are on ventilation.

Updated

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has repeated the call for Queenslanders in or around Brisbane to stay home after “very dangerous thunderstorms were detected”.

Updated

One Nation senator, Pauline Hanson, who has previously expressed “respect” for Putin’s patriotism, has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the armed invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, and I condemn in the strongest terms the Russian leader Vladimir Putin for his unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation,” Hanson told Guardian Australia.

“I am very concerned about the Russia-China axis and the challenge it represents to free nations around the world.”

“I am very concerned the attack on Ukraine is being orchestrated to test western resolve and take the focus off China’s belligerence towards Taiwan.

“I feel for the people of Ukraine, but Australia must remain firmly focused on security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Hanson also echoed remarks made by defence minister Peter Dutton last week about the likelihood of China watching the local response to the Ukrainian invasion.

“I have no doubt Xi Jinping is watching how the west reacts very closely, perhaps even hoping for a significant military deployment in Europe that diverts US forces from Asia, but I don’t have confidence in US president Joe Biden’s ability to meet this challenge in a way that discourages future armed conflicts,” Hanson said.

Senator Pauline Hanson.
Senator Pauline Hanson. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has started up a crowdfunding campaign through GoFundMe to raise money for those affected by the Queensland floods.

However some responded by pointing out that emergency response funding is typically a responsibility of government.

Updated

Stuart Khan, director of the Australian Graduate School of Engineering at the University of New South Wales is giving an update on just how much water has fallen on south-east Queensland. Wivenhoe Dam is now sitting at 169% of capacity.

Updated

The prime minister’s office has confirmed Australia will be providing funds to Nato for lethal aid for Ukraine after previously restricting the commitment to non-lethal military equipment.

Scott Morrison said Nato was already providing support in these areas “and we will be assisting them with what they are doing”.

Updated

Scott Morrison also said the government was still considering expelling Russian diplomats, saying Australia was working in lockstep with allies on the best approach.

He said he welcomed the decision to disconnect Russia from the Swift financial transaction system, which Australia had called for last week in line with calls from the Ukrainian community:

Russia must pay a heavy price. They must pay a heavy price and we will continue to add to that price, as we consider every single option that is in front of us.

When asked if that included the expulsion of diplomats from Canberra, Morrison said:

I am taking nothing off the table.

Updated

Australia to help provide 'lethal aid' to Ukraine, Scott Morrison says

Prime minister Scott Morrison has spoken about the war in Ukraine after attending a peace vigil at St Andrew’s church in Lidcombe.

Morrison said the government was now looking to upgrade its support to Ukrainian forces with the provision of “lethal aid” to Ukraine through Nato countries. Previously, the government said it was providing non-lethal military equipment, but would not go into detail as to what this comprised.

He said:

The Australian government will continue to stand up for what is right when it comes to Ukraine. We are already providing significant support in terms of non-lethal aid, and I’ve just spoken with the defence minister and we’ll be seeking to provide whatever support we can for lethal aid through our Nato partners, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom. And we’ll be working through those channels because that’s the most effective way to do it.

The PM said the government was now processing visas from Ukraine as a priority, and indicated more humanitarian assistance would be forthcoming:

At present, our focus is what’s occurring in Ukraine right now and providing the immediate relief to those who have been coming across borders, as hundreds of thousands of people are becoming displaced. The world community will work together on all of those issues, but Australia will be very prepared to take more and more [people] as we have with Afghanistan.”

He said the government was still considering further actions against Russia, including the potential to cease all trade.

Morrison also said he did not want to draw parallels with China and Taiwan, saying he believed it was “unhelpful” to compare the two situations:

The situations are very, very different, the situation in Taiwan and the situation in Ukraine, so i want to put Australians with ease in not conflating those two issues.

Updated

The latest BoM warning is up, with intense rainfall being recorded across the Brisbane CBD.

Updated

A video posted to social media appears to catch the moment the ferry terminal at Kangaroo Point was hit by a boat that then sunk.

There appears to have been a person aboard.

Updated

As my colleague Peter Hannam points out, as the storm battering Brisbane moves south, it could pose problems for Sydney:

Updated

In an unpredictable world wracked by crises and consumed by troubles, there is a place where truth and beauty still hold.

That place is in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, where each year the noblest among us meet for a gathering of the clans.

From across the land they come, their number drawn from all walks of life and all generations, with a singular, unified purpose: taking part in Mulletfest.

The mullet, a traditional dress among the Australian people, is perhaps the only honest hairstyle: it is the mark of someone who knows exactly who they are and what they are about.

Mulletfest 2022, the only event to celebrate the majesty of the mullet, has been and gone for this year but if you missed it, we have all the pics of the best in show:

Updated

Police continue to search for a yachtsman missing in the swollen Brisbane River, as severe weather warnings span almost 1,000km of NSW and Queensland coastline and the death toll from severe flooding rises to seven, AAP reports.

The sole sailor, aged in his 70s, fell overboard from his vessel near the mouth of Breakfast Creek about 4.45pm yesterday.

Three water police vessels searched for him until nightfall but their efforts were suspended due to dangerous weather and debris in the river.

The search resumed at first light today, involving water police vessels, general duties officers, coastguard personnel and volunteers.

Updated

Royce Kurmelovs is back on deck, people, to take you through the afternoon.

It may seem odd, but it’s important to save water during the floods:

Another person with Covid has died in Queensland, and the state has recorded 3,571 new cases:

Updated

NSW premier Dominic Perrotet is now talking about the return to the office. From Monday trains will return to normal operations (he hasn’t mentioned any industrial action):

We’ve seen a strong return to activity in the city and that’s incredibly important because when Sydney goes well, the state and the country goes well off the back of it.

Updated

Russia Today is the state-controlled outlet ...

Updated

The BoM’s Ailsa Schofield warns the weather system will keep moving south, and that Lismore is set to be hit by major flooding.

Updated

SES commissioner Carlene York says they don’t want to see any more deaths – among those who have died was SES volunteer:

Heed the warnings that we give ... and keep safe. We don’t want to lose any more community members to this significant event.

The difference with this significant weather event is we’re coming out of a very wet period for La Niña and we’re not in a drought. We’ve had saturated lands right across NSW.

So that means we expect the waters to act differently. There is nowhere for it to go. We expect some high tides in the next few days as well, which makes it difficult for rivers to flow out to the ocean.

Updated

Flood warnings for NSW

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning about flash flood and major flood warnings in New South Wales. Spokeswoman Ailsa Schofield says people should visit the BoM website or download their app to keep on top of warnings.

Heavy rainfall is set to continue, she says.

Updated

Emergency services minister Steph Cook says the SES is continuing to respond to incidents, and warns people to prepare for evacuation if necessary:

We also have fire and rescue, with both teams and appliances in the north of the state, again ready to respond the risk of flash flooding, heavy rainfall. Riverine flooding, of course, is very real over the coming days and I encourage everyone to take heed of what the premier has suggested this morning – please be prepared.

Do not be complacent at this time. I know a number of you in these communities have lived there for a long time. No doubt you have seen your share of heavy rainfall and of flooding over your lifetime. However, please listen to the warnings that are being put out by the Bureau of Meteorology, by the SES and our other emergency services organisations. We are all about keeping you safe and you can help us help you by being prepared.

Make sure that your family is good to go should an evacuation order be issued. Ensure that you’ve got some basics prepared, whether that be your medications, your computers, mobile phones, chargers, dry clothes, those basics, just in the event that we do need to evacuate you from your community. Hopefully we won’t.

Updated

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet is giving an update on that state. He warns that “blue skies” do not mean an end to the flooding risk, and tells people (you’d think this would be unnecessary, but apparently not) not to drive in flood waters:

My strong message today for people in those areas is to follow the instructions where there is an evacuation order, please evacuate. We recently had a death on the Central Coast in flood waters. Please do not drive in flood waters.

The situation there is changing rapidly, so keep an eye on warnings from the State Emergency Service here.

Updated

Electric?? That’s a lot for a Sunday, I’ll try to spark up – Thanks, Royce Kurmelovs.

And with that, I’m going to take a break. In the meantime, I’m handing over to the electric Tory Shepherd to take you through the next little while.

For a sense of just how much water has been dumped over south-east Queensland in this “rain bomb”, here is a pretty good indication of the amount of water running through the system right now:

And spare a thought for this Nope Rope and their buddies.

Updated

Asked about what the difference is between this event and the floods of 2011, water authorities say the 2011 floods came after a long, wet autumn and winter which left the ground saturated. Since then there has been work done to change how flood mitigation strategies at Wivenhoe are managed.

And that wraps up an at-times tense presser.

Updated

Questions from reporters now about the length of time between information updates and warnings for residents who have, in some cases, been given just an hour to respond to an alert to leave home.

Annastacia Palaszczuk is stressing that “we don’t control nature”:

“Did anyone ever expect that on Friday Wivenhoe would be at 80% and that today it would be at 160%? No one expected that. We don’t control nature. But we have to respond in the most measured and responsible way that we can and that is exactly what we are doing.

Updated

Questions now for the Bureau of Meteorology about when the high tide can be expected. It sounds as though the volatility and intensity of the event is making it very difficult to keep up:

This has been a very evolving situation and the Bureau of Meteorology has been briefing councils and various local disaster Management groups for days now.

These events can be notoriously difficult to predict outside for days. It’s a long forecast period. As we show up in the 24-hour period we get more certain around those peaks and to emphasise with these events, it’s that widespread area and those pockets of intensity, which has driven so much of the flood peak and we are seeing so much flash flooding and something the models, the forecasts aren’t other level of detail. It’s the broad scale we are seeing this event within 24 hours, 48 hours at exactly that means for specific areas of south-east Queensland.

Updated

'It's literally a rain bomb sitting over the entire SEQ'

Annastacia Palaszczuk, asked whether the coordination of the response has been effective, agrees with the Brisbane lord mayor’s description of the event as a “rain bomb”:

The issue is it is just a rapidly unfolding events. There is so much rain. I thought the lord mayor explained it incredibly well. There is a rain bomb that’s just sitting over the entire south-east.

We haven’t really experienced this much rain in such a short period of time before. It’s literally a rain bomb sitting over the entire SEQ. People would have seen in Townsville, we had them on several issues up there but that was over a longer period of time. This is happening over a much shorter, condensed period of time and it’s almost as if it’s comparable to Cyclone Debbie, people can a member how much rain there was during a particular period.

The Premier adds that the situation “differs from 2011” and is “a completely different circumstance”.

Updated

Queensland transport minister Mark Bailey says the state’s transport systems – road and rail – are being hit hard. For drivers:

A lot of roads are cut but not logged. There’s danger out there.

For those who rely on public transport:

We’re seeing increasing impacts there, just this morning we’ve seen the Shorncliffe line go down as well as the Fernigrove line to Mitchelton. Where possible, there will be bus replacements there. Again, because of sometimes local flooding, local services will sometimes struggle as well. I know that bus services having to be rescheduled and diverted in that Brisbane area, so it’s important to be forearmed when you go out.

Updated

Residents of Brisbane and the surrounding region are being warned to conserve water:

If Brisbane residents around the city as far out as Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and LockyerValley could please conserve water at this point. The weather has had an impact in particular on the Mount Crosby water treatment plant and this is happening because of the extreme cloudiness that happens in the water when the water gets stirred up from all the detritus and other matters that come through into the water treatment plant and start to affect the filters.

Updated

I missed who was speaking, but I believe they were from the State Emergency Service speaking about Brisbane River heights:

At the Brisbane gauge of the river monitoring levels, we’re seeing that there was a peak this morning of around 3.1m. In 2011, that peak at the same location was 4.46m.

As the rain continues, we have at least 24 hours more of danger and that is something that people need to bear in mind. We had a high peak at 7am or 7.30 this morning. There will be another at 7pm tonight. We’ll see another at 8am tomorrow morning and then 8pm tomorrow night. So these are the critical times.

Updated

Authorities really trying to hammer home the message for people not to take any risks. Multiple figures are stressing that people need to stay home, stay off the roads.

There have been repeated reminders that six people have died, while the fate of a seventh remains unknown.

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology is speaking now, saying things are clearing up in the northern areas with the focus now on Brisbane. Intense rainfall will lead to flash flooding, with the Mary River breaking records.

We’ve seen 70mm fall within an hour at Bribie Island this morning and that’s just one example of how quickly this rain is falling and the intensity that can lead to flash flooding and we expect that to continue throughout today and this evening and we’re hoping to see some relief later tomorrow – sorry, earlier tomorrow. So the relief will come in the early hours of Monday morning but we can expect to see this rainfall event continue today and well into tonight as well.

The key message from the bureau this morning, today and for the next 24 hours is please keep checking the warnings and get on to the app, on to the website and be across what’s happening in your area and in your catchment as well.

The details are coming thick and fast. For full details, go to the BoM’s disaster statement.

Updated

More details on flooding levels: 1,430 home sare expected to be impacted:

The height that we have seen now – we were predicting around 2.6m or 2.7m. It’s now 3.1m. We expect there may be 1,430 homes impacted above the floorboards at this stage. We’ve also done some releases from the dam.

Now, that does take about 24 hours to come down so that is not impacting at the moment and with the rain easing, hopefully over the next 24 hours, we then do expect to see high levels of water in our river system for at least the next three to five days.

Updated

More details on road closures ...

There are a lot of roads closed. The Bruce Highway is cut. Minister Bailey will outline that in the very near future. Now, Maryborough, we’re expecting to see the peak tonight and expecting that to exceed the January event.

On schools, the premier says authorities are working on this and more information will come today.

Updated

Annastacia Palaszczuk:

I don’t want to see any more deaths. So please, please if you do not have to be out today, just stay at home, because this water is unrelenting at the moment.

Some indication of the Wivenhoe increases, on Thursday it was 58.7%, Friday 80.6%, Saturday 142% and today it’s 160%. So this is a very extreme weather event that we have at the moment.

Due to issues with the Mount Crosby water treatment system, those in the south-east are being asked to conserve water. This applies to those in Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan and the Lockyer. Further information to come during the course of the day.

Updated

Palaszczuk is speaking now, describing the situation as an “extreme weather event”:

We have this big rain event happening right across the south-east. It’s filling up all of our catchments, all of our rivers. It’s all coming into the Brisbane River and not only that, we have a lot of rain coming right across the south-east catchment zone into Wivenhoe.

The premier also warns people to stay off the roads due to the risk of flash flooding.

Updated

We’re now waiting for the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, to begin a press conference about the floods.

The premier has spent the morning chairing a meeting of the Queensland disaster management committee that includes mayors from affected cities and towns, emergency services, power and water providers.

We will have more shortly.

Updated

Greens calls for Australia to stop Russian crude oil imports

The Australian Greens are calling for a boycott of Russian crude oil imports, saying Australia imported $86m worth of imports last financial year, accounting for 1% of imports.

Over the past decade, Russian oil imports to Australia have totalled $4.3bn.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said Putin’s power came from oil and gas and Australia should stop buying Russian oil to “hit Putin where it hurts”.

“By buying Russian oil, countries like Australia are helping fund the invasion. We need to get serious about sanctions. While Australia’s Russian oil imports are small, a boycott of Russian oil and gas could start the ball rolling for the rest of the world.

“Scott Morrison is talking big about sanctions, but so far his actions have been limited. It’s time to get real.

“If Australia becomes energy independent with renewables and storage, we don’t just undermine the power of dictators like Putin, we cut emissions too.”

The Greens’ foreign relations spokesperson senator Janet Rice said stopping imports would be a a practical action that in “a small way, materially impacts Putin’s ability to wage war against the people of Ukraine”.

“Scott Morrison shouldn’t be doing business with dictators who invade their neighbours, seeking to supplant a democratically elected government,” Rice said.

“Only 1% of our oil comes from Russia, but by taking this action, Australia can place pressure on other nations to follow suit, cutting off a vital source of income for Putin and his oil oligarchs.”

Updated

Storms across Queensland are so severe one Twitter user says a plane is stuck on the tarmac and the pilot won’t let them disembark over safety concerns.

Updated

Speaking to the ABC, Jackson Browne from the Bureau of Meteorology says the flooding situation is very serious.

We have seen in an incredible amount of rainfall around the place with the station Mount Glorious including 440mm in the previous 24 hours and the previous 24 hours before that was 700mm. We are seeing the order of 11mm in parts of south-east Queensland. This has led to dangerous and potentially life-threatening flash fighting around south-east Queensland with multiple catchments in major flood points of interest, Gympie, Maryborough, Brisbane and Ipswich.

Updated

Queensland State Emergency Service volunteers are receiving requests for assistance at a rate of 100 an hour for help, with reports of flooding and landslips.

Updated

Queensland’s assistant commissioner for Fire and Emergency Services Andrew Short has again asked people not to drive into flood waters and to stay put.

The roads, a lot of roads are cut off with a lot of roads impassable and as an example, getting from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast now is extremely difficult. If people need to travel, they need to rethink their travel requirements, have a Plan B and not go out in this situation. It’s not a day to be on the road. It is not a day to test out your car to see how good it is in flood waters.

Drivers moving through flood water run the risk of being trapped by water pressure and of drowning if the attempt fails.

Those in an emergency situation, who have caught by surprise and believe it is their only option, should wind down their windows before making the attempt – though as Short advises the best plan is always to prepare in advance and stay put.

We understand that people have been stuck at home for a few days. That’s terminally the safest place to be if your house is high and dry, that’s certainly the safest place to be.

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology warns of intense rainfall and damaging winds across south-east Queensland and the Brisbane CBD.

Updated

Six people have died in Queensland with flood waters continuing to rise through Sunday following several days of intense rain across South-east Queensland.

With flooding is expected to continue and move into northern New South Wales, here is helpful breakdown on what to expect next.

Cyclone Anika makes landfall in Western Australia

Tropical Cyclone Anika has made landfall in Western Australia, bringing winds gusts of up to 120km/h as it hit the north Kimberley coast, AAP reports.

Residents in and around Kalumburu were told late on Saturday night that they had to go to shelter immediately.

People living between Wyndham and the Northern Territory border were urged to prepare for cyclonic weather and organise emergency plans, including a first aid kit, portable radio, food and water.

Those in the North Kimberley and the West Kimberley were advised to stay up to date with weather warnings and forecasts.

The category one system was moving south-west at 16km/h and expected to weaken slowly during Sunday as it tracks west across the Kimberley into Monday.

The Bureau of Meteorology said Anika was likely to move offshore from the coast near Kuri Bay on Tuesday and then strengthen again off the WA coast.

Updated

Queensland LNP senator James McGrath is calling for Australia to send weapons to help Ukraine and for the Russian ambassador to be immediately expelled from the country.

“Instead of sending thoughts and prayers to Ukraine we should be sending weapons,” McGrath said.

“Instead of sanctions we should be confiscating the assets of Putin’s regime and giving them to Ukraine.

“The Russian ambassador should be expelled and put on a plane today.”

The Australian government has said it is providing cyber assistance and the provision of “non-lethal military equipment” through Nato partners.

The foreign affairs minister, Marise Payne, said on Saturday that the option of expelling Russian diplomats “remained a live option”.

“It is not something that we are considering currently. It enables us to have a direct line of communication with the Russian government.”

At this stage, as I said, it remains an option but not something that we are proceeding with at the moment.

Updated

The Guardian’s intrepid reporter Ben Smee is scoping out events across Queensland and surveying the damage. Here’s what he found.

Victoria reports 17 more Covid deaths

The Victorian Covid-19 case numbers are in: 17 people have died in the state, five people are on ventilators, 38 are in ICU and 274 people are in hospital.

Updated

Queensland’s Assistant Commissioner for Fire and Emergency Services Andrew Short is also telling people to stay out of flood waters.

We would just ask people to stay home, stay safe, today is not the time to be doing disaster tourism or storm tourism, just to see what’s out there. Certainly not the day to be going out on the roads and driving through floodwaters and certainly not the day to have your kids outside, playing in the stormwater on surfboards, in drains and such such.

Updated

Also with so much going on it’s easy to sometimes miss stuff. If you see something going on out in the big wide world (of Australia) and think it should be on the blog, you can find me at @RoyceRk2.

A few more pictures.

The Golden Rule when it comes to floods is: stay out of the water. If you need yet another reason as to why.

Updated

NSW reports seven new Covid deaths

NSW Health is reporting seven people died overnight from Covid, with 58 now in ICU and 1,146 hospitalisations.

Updated

And a handy safety reminder of how deceptive floodwater depths can be...

With floodwaters in Brisbane rising, there are fears of a repeat of the devastating events of 2011 which affected 200,000 people.

However, Stuart Khan, professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Global Water Institute, University of New South Wales says that is unlikel.

To Ukraine now where the Eastern European nation is about to enter day four of the invasion by Russia. With threats of encirclement and bombardment, those in the capital, Kiev, have waited through another sleepless night.

Keep up with the latest events as they happen by following the Guardian’s Ukrainian live blog.

Updated

Flooding in large parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales is expected to become more severe today as downpours continue unabated.

Six people have died in Queensland flood waters in the past few days with one death in NSW. The most recent death occurred in the Brisbane suburb of Indooroopilly overnight.

About 2.30am, a 34-year-old man from Moorooka became stuck in flood waters while driving. Queensland police said the man freed himself from his vehicle and attempted to swim to safety but his body was discovered a short time later.

The Brisbane City Council says its modelling suggests several thousand properties are at risk this morning.

The immediate concern is a high tide – expected about 7.30am at the mouth of the Brisbane River – that was expected to put properties at risk. Many of the local catchments are already spilling on to roadways and into properties.

Adding to concern are necessary water releases from Wivenhoe Dam, which has gone above 120% capacity. The first release was expected at 4am – though it can take up to 24 hours for the additional water to reach suburban parts of the catchment.

The forecast remains for heavy rain to continue.

Welcome to the live blog on this fine, damp Sunday morning for many Australians. This is Royce Kurmelovs and I will be taking you events as they happen.

Bear with me as we boot up this blog machine and get things going.

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