Torrential rain lashes Queensland

Torrential rain has lashed Queensland's far north coast with Tropical Cyclone Tasha
running out of puff between Cairns and Innisfail early on Christmas morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported that the rapidly fading category one cyclone made
land about 5.30am (AEST) south of Cairns.
One home lost a roof at Mission Beach, 7000 properties lost power and the State
Emergency Service (SES) responded to more than 150 calls for help, on top of the 417
calls statewide on Christmas Eve.
At Ravenshoe, two people and their cat and dog were rescued from a rooftop after
floodwaters inundated their house.
Twenty households in Irvinebank, near Herberton, were evacuated after the nearby
Ibis Weir approached capacity.
Cyclone Tasha was quickly downgraded to a tropical low, but flooding has become an
even greater concern.
Goldsborough Valley recorded 279mm, with the next highest rainfall at Corsis with
277mm, followed by Topaz with 276mm.
Cairns received less than 100mm of rain.
Heavy rain is expected to persist during the next few days as the system moves
southwest through to the Central Highlands and beyond.
The state disaster management group met in Brisbane on Christmas Day and Emergency
Services Minister Neil Roberts told reporters afterwards there were no reports of
injuries.
"We ask people to be patient and cautious when they are out and about, there's still
a lot of heavy rain in the far north," he said.
"Fifteen centimetres of water can sweep a person off their feet, 60 centimetres or
two feet can wash a car off the road, so there's very dangerous conditions up and
down the coast.
"Queenslanders from the tip of Cape York right through to the Gold Coast and inland
can expect very heavy rain, thunderstorms and localised flooding and roads cuts (for
the next week)."
State disaster co-ordinator and deputy police commissioner Ian Stewart urged
motorists to take note of road closures and beware of flash flooding.
Emergency Management Queensland spokesman Bruce Grady said the cyclone was
short-lived, lasting just seven hours.
"We got what we expected ... a lot of rain on the back of a previous (high
rainfall)," he said.
Authorities are still concerned for the welfare of five bushwalkers missing in two
groups on Hinchinbrook Island, off the coast of Cardwell.
Three hikers were due to be picked up at the north end of the island at noon on
Christmas Eve, but failed to arrive.
However, the other two were not due to finish their trek until Monday, police said.
A police spokeswoman said the island would have been hammered by Cyclone Tasha, but
an assessment or search won't be possible until the weather improves.
Senior forecaster Greg Browning said the cyclone had been at the low end of the
scale when it crossed between the townships of Gordonvale and Babinda.
"It was the weakest that a cyclone can be," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Browning said a second low pressure system in the Gulf of Carpentaria
was not likely to reach tropical cyclone intensity.
"(The system) does look like it will intensify in the next few days, but it depends
on its movements," he said.
"It doesn't look like it will stay in the Gulf of Carpentaria long enough to develop
into a tropical cyclone ... but things can change between now and then."
It's also been a soggy Christmas for residents south of the cyclone zone. Gairloch
and Dumbleton Rocks, near Mackay, had 83mm of rain and there were falls of 50mm to
80mm between Ingham and Mackay from 9am to 3pm (AEST).
Severe weather warnings are current for people living between Cardwell and St
Lawrence, extending inland.
There are flood warnings for the following rivers: Mulgrave, Russell, Johnstone,
Tully, Herbert, Ross, and Don, and adjacent streams Pioneer, Fitzroy, Burnett,
Condamine-Balonne, Warrego and Thomson, Barcoo, and Cooper Creek.
Meanwhile in central Queensland, authorities have door-knocked residents in Theodore
and held community briefings in preparation for floods as an overnight surge of
water heads down the Dawson River.
Banana Shire deputy mayor Maureen Clancy told AAP six families had been evacuated,
and five buildings were flooded so far.
"We're on high alert," she said.
Authorities urge people to check road closure information at www.131940.qld.gov.au
or www.racq.com.au/travel/maps_and_Directions/road_conditions