Parts of Queensland's north are bracing for heavy rainfall and potential flooding over the weekend and into next week. Extensive flood watches are in place for the north-west after what has already been a wet week.

Brisbane

Authorities in Queensland have issued warnings for more severe weather, with large areas from Mount Isa to Mackay potentially facing up to 400 millimetres of rain following days of wild conditions. The Gold Coast continues to recover from a recent storm that brought 90 kilometre per hour winds, snapping a crane and prompting police to establish an exclusion zone until it is safely removed.

The Bureau of Meteorology has highlighted the risk of heavy to locally intense rainfall due to a monsoon trough moving into northwest Queensland, placing several waterways under flood warnings. Residents are advised to stay updated on weather alerts, as already saturated catchments could increase the risk of flooding and conditions may change rapidly.

Queensland braces for more severe weather and flood warnings

Let's get more on those warnings of more severe weather on the way for the Sunshine State. Christina Pultak joins us live from Brisbane. Christina, northern parts of Queensland are on flood watch, bracing for a deluge. Natalie, it's a large part of the state too. From Mount Isa down to Mackay, communities could be in for up to 400 millimetres of rain. It follows days of wild weather in the state already. Down on the Gold Coast, the cleanup is still continuing from a short but dangerous storm at Broadwater on Christmas afternoon. 90 kilometre per hour winds were then strong enough to snap a crane, and now that crane is yet to be removed. Queensland police are worried it could fall, so an exclusion zone remains in place, with officers now saying it may remain until Tuesday as they wait for conditions to ease before they can undertake the delicate operation. A second crane has now been brought in to help with that effort. Now, this afternoon, we heard from the Bureau who are warning about a monsoon trough moving through the Northern Territory and into northwest Queensland. Flood warnings are in place for waterways, including Flinders River and Cloncurry River. That's going to generate the risk of heavy to locally intense rainfall in the region as well, over multiple days as well, and the big watch point is that many of the catchments here are already wet. Natalie, the Bureau is urging Queenslanders to keep across current weather warnings as the situation could change rapidly.

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