Heavy rain, flood threat dampen start to new year

The Coomera River is among the waterways subject to a flood warning as rain lashes Queensland. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

The threat of dangerous flooding has returned as heavy rain continues to batter parts of southeast Queensland and northern NSW in a wet start to the new year.

Intense falls in some areas from Gympie south to the NSW border could lead to life-threatening flash floods, the Bureau of Meteorology warned on Monday afternoon.