Large parts of Queensland are at risk of flooding this week as regions prepare to receive up to 10 times their average monthly rainfall by the weekend.
Police are warning people to avoid unnecessary travel, including for holidays or work, with the downpours expected to begin from Tuesday.
Acting Inspector Donna Stewart said one in 10 road deaths in the state this year had been from people driving in flood waters.
"It's incredibly frustrating to see the number of people who aren't heeding our warnings," she said on Sunday.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Felim Hannify said flood and severe warnings will begin to be issued from tomorrow.
The central, central interior and central coast are all set to receive 10 times their monthly average, while the interior and southeast are tipped to get an average month's worth of rainfall.
During the worst of the weather Queensland's central coast region could be hit with up to 300ml of rain within six hours, along with damaging winds.
"There's going to be widespread rainfall basically across the entirety of the state," Mr Hannify said.
"The real event starts to ramp up particularly from Tuesday to Wednesday."
Mr Hannify warned parts of the state were already saturated and flooding presented a threat to lives and livestock.
He said the severe weather would be fuelled by two troughs, one coming from the interior and another from the north coast.
A high pressure system in the Tasman Sea will essentially trap the two rain-laden troughs across Queensland, forcing it to rain itself out rather than move on.
"It's like nature is working against us," Mr Hannify said.
Queensland and NSW are still reeling from devastating and deadly floods earlier this year which triggered a massive - but criticised - response from state and federal governments.
Australian Associated Press
