Police have confirmed a second person has died in south-east Queensland floodwaters as authorities warn a coastal trough could bring up to 300 millimetres of rain in just six hours as it moves over parts of the region today.
Phillip Lambert, 54, was reported missing yesterday after his motorbike was found near a bridge at Cedar Pocket, near Gympie.
His body was recovered at about 11:30am today.
"His family are obviously very traumatised, incredibly upset it is a highly distressing situation," Acting Inspector Paul Algie said.
"This is a very tragic outcome to a very extensive search.
"It's a timely reminder I think for all of us to remember that if it's flooded, forget it… and also in a month where we're losing far too many motorcyclists on Queensland roads."
Police have also released the name of a woman whose car was swept away in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
The body of 63-year-old Philippa Tayler was found in her submerged vehicle at Belli Park early yesterday.
Weather conditions have eased slightly today but the Bureau of Meteorology has warned the wet weather isn't over just yet.
Forecaster Laura Boekel said there was a decrease in activity overnight but the system is "still very much around".
"It's just sitting offshore and we are expecting it to move onshore and interact with another system that's happening higher in the atmosphere."
The bureau predicts up to 300 millimetres of rain will fall in as little as six hours tonight across some parts of south-east Queensland, and a severe weather warning remains current.
"Just south of Maryborough and that goes down to the border but it also pushes into the Darling Downs too, so Toowoomba, and Warwick are included in that warning area," Ms Boekel said.
Ninety-kilometre-per-hour winds are also expected to sweep across the south-east, particularly along coastal areas.
"It's actually quite common to see most of the activity overnight and that's absolutely what we're expecting."
Still a risk of flash flooding
A reprieve from the rainfall is expected on Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday, but flash flooding is still a risk.
"We've got the flash flooding from the very intense rainfall and then we've also got the riverine flooding where we're seeing rising rivers and catchments, so that's very much still in that Sunshine Coast area."
River catchments at Gympie, Tiaro and Maryborough will peak in the coming days as more water moves downstream along the Mary river.
"We really are urging people to just be really aware of the situation and keep an eye on that rainfall especially those in low lying areas because they will see inundation fast."
"The main message today is the flash flooding, which can just be so life threatening and dangerous for people swept up in that."
Ms Boekel said more rain is on the way but it won't take much for floods to occur as many catchments are already wet."
"We could still see some very intense rainfall, so we're really encouraging people to just be on top of the radar especially and follow all the advice from the emergency services."
Gold Coast on 'high alert'
The highest falls overnight were on the Gold Coast, with Currumbin Creek getting about 75mm.
The council issued more than 600 sandbags yesterday and roads in Maudsland, Tallebudgera Valley, Surfers Paradise and Mudgeeraba were closed overnight.
Gold Coast City Council disaster coordinator Alton Twine said the council is on "high alert".
"The levels are sort of coming down after that pulse of rain in the middle of the night, but it's not over yet."
Rain eased in areas near Gympie, after than 400mm fell in less than 24 hours throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.
Several schools were closed yesterday and a 63-year-old woman was killed when her car was swept away at Belli Creek on the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
QFES commander of state operations Brad Commens said the situation had been quieter overnight but warned people needed to be vigilant over Thursday as rainfalls increased.
He said there were 19 swift water rescue incidents yesterday, mostly around Cooroy, Gympie and Kin Kin in the Sunshine Coast area.
"Predominantly those were rescues of people that possibly shouldn't have been in that situation, they shouldn't have gone into floodwaters," told ABC Radio Brisbane.
The bureau is warning people not to get complacent as the movements of the trough remain unpredictable.
