Three women have been rescued from flood waters in north Queensland, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service.
Emergency services were called to the scene after the women were found clinging to a tree near Cedar Creek Falls Road in Palm Grove just after 3:15pm on Sunday.
A woman in her 20s and two teenagers were taken to Proserpine Hospital, all in stable conditions.
The rescues come as the Bureau of Meteorology says storms hitting parts of north and central Queensland could get worse, with heavy rain and flash flooding conditions likely to peak on Monday.
The dangerous weather is a continuation of wet weather that saw nine people rescued by helicopter earlier on Sunday after they became stranded on a highway north of Emerald.
A severe weather warning remains in place for north and central Queensland, with heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the forecast.
The rain is expected to be slow-moving and could bring isolated falls of up to 400 millimetres over the next 24 hours.
Flash flooding in south-eastern parts of the Herbert and Lower Burdekin could be dangerous and life-threatening.
Meteorologist Felim Hanniffy from the Bureau of Meteorology said the system would drift south of Townsville.
"This system is still in its strengthening mode and we're likely to see the peak rainfall probably during Monday and that's where we expect areas like the central coast and elevated areas like the Clark Ranges where we could see some sizeable accumulations," he said.
Storms 'shifting south' to Townsville
"The focal point of the rain during the rest of Sunday and even into Monday and Tuesday [will be] shifting south to Townsville and very much from about Ayr down to around Carmilla with the focal point around parts of the central coast — that's Proserpine and adjacent inland."
"Particularly about the Clark Ranges, that's where we could see some sizeable accumulation of rainfall over the next 24 to 48 hours."
Areas that may be affected include Mackay, Sarina, Ayr, Collinsville, Giru, Airlie Beach, Bowen, Townsville, Proserpine and Hamilton Island.
Moderate flooding is possible from the Bowen pump station from late Sunday.
The SES said there are more than 60 sandbagging operations around the region.
Parts of the region received more than 270 millimetres of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on Sunday.
Many roads, including stretches of the Bruce Highway, remain closed.
Family separated
Caireen Holt and her family are experiencing their first big wet season since moving to Clermont, they've been cut off and separated from their daughter who's staying at a friend's property.
"She's at a property out near Cheeseborough and their whole driveway, it's about two kilometres, a big section has been cut off, so she's unable to get out," she said.
"There's lots of families that are cut off from each other over the weekend.
"We've had over 200mm since Friday.
"She's a big girl, she's happy, I think she's enjoying the weekend away.
"She unfortunately had to miss work both on Friday and on Saturday.
"Because we're very strict about if it's flooded forget it, we're just going to wait until it's safe for her to come back.
"We had waterfront views for a day and a half and now we can't see the river."
Flooding could worsen
Mackay Regional Council Deputy Mayor Karen May said some low-lying areas were experiencing flooding in the area.
"They normally go under, we are well and truly prepared for that," she said.
She said flood gates on the Pioneer River were being used "as a precaution" but no infrastructure or homes had been damaged so far.
Mr Hanniffy said the risk of flooding would continue for a number of days.
"When you've got multiple days of significant rainfall rivers and creeks begin to respond, we do have an extensive flood watch in operation for parts of the north-east and central coast and adjacent inland."
"Over the next 24 to 48 hours we're likely to see potential for rapid river rises, and obviously when you've got sustained multiple days of heavy to locally intense rainfall, this is also going to bring the risk of significant riverine flooding and also life threatening flash flooding as well."
"By Tuesday the system is expected to weaken over around the Whitsundays … but then push back north again after Tuesday, during Wednesday and Thursday, right back up onto the northern peninsula once again."
