Australia live news updates: Brisbane braces for severe flooding; at least 24 more Covid deaths | Australia news

Queensland transport minister Mark Bailey says the state’s transport techniques – street and rail – are being hit laborious. For drivers:

Lots of roads are lower however not logged. There’s hazard on the market.

For many who depend on public transport:

We’re seeing growing impacts there, simply this morning we’ve seen the Shorncliffe line go down in addition to the Fernigrove line to Mitchelton. The place attainable, there shall be bus replacements there. Once more, due to typically native flooding, native companies will typically battle as effectively. I do know that bus companies having to be rescheduled and diverted in that Brisbane space, so it’s necessary to be forearmed whenever you exit.

Residents of Brisbane and the encircling area are being warned to preserve water:

If Brisbane residents across the metropolis as far out as Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and LockyerValley might please preserve water at this level. The climate has had an influence particularly on the Mount Crosby water therapy plant and that is taking place due to the acute cloudiness that occurs within the water when the water will get stirred up from all of the detritus and different issues that come by way of into the water therapy plant and begin to have an effect on the filters.

I missed who was talking, however I imagine they have been from the State Emergency Service talking about Brisbane River heights:

On the Brisbane gauge of the river monitoring ranges, we’re seeing that there was a peak this morning of round 3.1m. In 2011, that peak on the similar location was 4.46m.

Because the rain continues, we’ve not less than 24 hours extra of hazard and that’s one thing that individuals want to keep in mind. We had a excessive peak at 7am or 7.30 this morning. There shall be one other at 7pm tonight. We’ll see one other at 8am tomorrow morning after which 8pm tomorrow night time. So these are the essential instances.

Authorities actually attempting to hammer dwelling the message for individuals to not take any dangers. A number of figures are stressing that individuals want to remain dwelling, keep off the roads.

There have been repeated reminders that six individuals have died, whereas the destiny of a seventh stays unknown.

The Bureau of Meteorology is talking now, saying issues are clearing up within the northern areas with the main target now on Brisbane. Intense rainfall will result in flash flooding, with the Mary River breaking data.

We’ve seen 70mm fall inside an hour at Bribie Island this morning and that’s only one instance of how shortly this rain is falling and the depth that may result in flash flooding and we anticipate that to proceed all through at present and this night and we’re hoping to see some aid later tomorrow – sorry, earlier tomorrow. So the aid will come within the early hours of Monday morning however we are able to anticipate to see this rainfall occasion proceed at present and effectively into tonight as effectively.

The important thing message from the bureau this morning, at present and for the subsequent 24 hours is please preserve checking the warnings and get on to the app, on to the web site and be throughout what’s taking place in your space and in your catchment as effectively.

The main points are coming thick and quick. For full particulars, go to the BoM’s disaster statement.

Extra particulars on flooding ranges: 1,430 dwelling sare anticipated to be impacted:

The peak that we’ve seen now – we have been predicting round 2.6m or 2.7m. It’s now 3.1m. We anticipate there could also be 1,430 properties impacted above the floorboards at this stage. We’ve additionally achieved some releases from the dam.

Now, that does take about 24 hours to come back down so that’s not impacting for the time being and with the rain easing, hopefully over the subsequent 24 hours, we then do anticipate to see excessive ranges of water in our river system for not less than the subsequent three to 5 days.

Extra particulars on street closures …

There are lots of roads closed. The Bruce Freeway is lower. Minister Bailey will define that within the very close to future. Now, Maryborough, we’re anticipating to see the height tonight and anticipating that to exceed the January occasion.

On colleges, the premier says authorities are engaged on this and extra data will come at present.

Annastacia Palaszczuk:

I don’t wish to see any extra deaths. So please, please in case you do not need to be out at present, simply keep at dwelling, as a result of this water is unrelenting for the time being.

Some indication of the Wivenhoe will increase, on Thursday it was 58.7%, Friday 80.6%, Saturday 142% and at present it’s 160%. So this can be a very excessive climate occasion that we’ve for the time being.

As a consequence of points with the Mount Crosby water therapy system, these within the south-east are being requested to preserve water. This is applicable to these in Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan and the Lockyer. Additional data to come back throughout the course of the day.

Palaszczuk is talking now, describing the state of affairs as an “excessive climate occasion”:

We now have this large rain occasion taking place proper throughout the south-east. It’s filling up all of our catchments, all of our rivers. It’s all coming into the Brisbane River and never solely that, we’ve lots of rain coming proper throughout the south-east catchment zone into Wivenhoe.

The premier additionally warns individuals to remain off the roads as a result of danger of flash flooding.

We’re now ready for the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, to start a press convention concerning the floods.

The premier has spent the morning chairing a gathering of the Queensland catastrophe administration committee that features mayors from affected cities and cities, emergency companies, energy and water suppliers.

We could have extra shortly.