A woman's body has been found in a submerged car and 10 people are missing in floodwaters after intense rainfall triggered flash floods in southeast Queensland.
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The 60-year-old's body was found in the vehicle near Skyring Creek at Belli Park, west of Eumundi on Sunshine Coast, just after 8am on Wednesday.
"This is indeed a tragedy during this particular time," Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament.
Sunshine Coast Police District Superintendent Craig Hawkins said another 10 people were unaccounted for in the Noosa Hinterland area.
"We are searching for some people at the moment, particularly again around that Belli Park area," he said.
"We're hopeful that it'll be a good outcome, but certainly we are searching for some people that are outstanding."
Police, swift water rescue and an emergency services helicopter were searching for a 54-year-old man whose motorcycle was found at Cedar Pocket near Gympie at 7.30am on Wednesday.
Swiftwater teams had made 23 rescues in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions by 9am on Wednesday following 12 hours of intense rainfall.
Emergency alerts have also been sent to Gympie, Noosa and Sunshine Coast residents warning of flash flooding that may affect roads and bridges.
Seven schools are closed and buses are replacing trains services on the Sunshine Coast due to the severe weather and after a freight train derailed between Traveston and Cooran about 3.20am.
QR acting chief executive Scott Riedel said the driver, who was the only person aboard, was shaken but not injured.
"Queensland Rail will work with the relevant parties to investigate the incident," Mr Riedel told AAP in a statement.
"We thank customers for their patience while we work to recover the site, assess and repair any damage, and monitor weather impacts before we allow services to safely resume."
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a general flood warning for southeast Queensland after up to 408mm of rain was recorded in some areas, with more on the way.
The worst-hit areas are the Southeast Coast and the Wide Bay-Burnett region, including the Mary River, where major floods earlier this year killed three people and damaged dozens of homes and businesses.
The premier warned that up to a month's rain could fall in some areas over Wednesday and Thursday.
"Since many catchments are now saturated, there is an increased risk of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding over the coming days," she said.
The Burnett, Burrum and Cherwell, Mary, Noosa, Pine, Caboolture, Brisbane, Logan and Albert, Condamine rivers are set to break their banks, as well as rivers and creeks on the Gold and Sunshine coasts.
Supt Hawkins urged people to reconsider their need to travel over the next 48 hours.
"We are making people will aware that a weather event is coming, we've seen the start of it we can see another two days of it," he said.
"It's not I'm not saying whether it's worse or not, all I can say is that we have seen significant rain in the last 24 hours and we'd like to see a lot more coming the next next few days."
Seqwater said emergency flood releases from the Somerset and North Pine dams were possible in the next 48 hours.
The Leslie Harrison, Lake Macdonald (Six Mile Creek), Poona, Ewen Maddock, Cooloolabin dams are already spilling.
The operator said outflows had also increased from the Baroon Pocket, Cedar Pocket and Wappa dams.
"If you are downstream of the dams, stay away from fast-flowing or deep water near waterways and floodplains," Seqwater said in a statement.
Australian Associated Press
