Already flood-ravaged communities are bracing for intense daily falls of up to 250mm and renewed river level rises from later today, with a severe weather warning still in place from Tully to Ayr.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Monsoon rains unleashed flooding in Australia’s Queensland that have claimed the lives of two people as the week-long deluge dropped months of rainfall in a few days, devastating small rural towns on the state’s north coast.

Flooding continues over much of northern Queensland, with major flooding from Cardwell to Ingham, and there is still no end in sight to the rain.

Record-breaking rainfall causes chaos in eastern Australia - with more bad weather on the way.