Towns Isolated In North Queensland As Floods Expected To Peak

Queensland floods are reaching new records this week, following a weekend of road closures from heavy rainfall.

Towns are now isolated in parts of the state, while Queensland police closed the Bruce Highway at Bowen.

Up to 400 millimetres of rain could fall over the next 24 hours in some areas.

The deluge has largely impacted roads in northern and central parts of the state, flooding sections of the Bruce Highway.

Three people have been hospitalised after a storm water rescue on Sunday in Palm Grove.

Up north, the weather system forecast is stretching across hundreds of kilometres, ranging from Townsville to Hervey Bay.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Felim Hanniffy said the situation could escalate quickly.

"Obviously when you get sustained multiple days of heavy to locally intense rainfall this is going to bring the risk of life-threatening flash flooding," Hanniffy said

In over a few hours Townsville recorded 210mm and Hamilton Island blitzed an 18-year record with the heaviest rainfall day of 234mm. 

Drivers are being warned not to tackle dangerous, flooded roads across the state as emergency crews work over time to provide safety.

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