Flooding is expected to increase in north Queensland today as heavy rainfall drenches hundreds of kilometres from the tropical east coast to the outback.

Three flood-related rescues have already taken place in western Queensland, including one incident where a man and his two dogs became stranded between flooded rivers and creeks. 

The Bureau of Meteorology's flood watch warnings as of Monday afternoon. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology)

The Bruce Highway from the Seymour River Bridge at Bemerside remains closed to all traffic due to heavy rainfall, with drivers warned to expect long delays. 

Elsewhere, the Landsborough Highway between Cloncurry and the Flinders Highway and Landsborough Highway intersection to McKinlay remains closed due to flooding, while the Flinders Highway from Cloncurry to Julia Creek and also Richmond to Julia Creek also remains closed to all traffic. 

The State Emergency Service (SES) has deployed 12 flood boat operators from the south-east to Ingham and Halifax, while additional crews are set to bolster north-west towns.

The SES also conducted multiple call-outs in the 24 hours to 4am on Tuesday, assisting with tarping, sandbagging and fallen trees. The call-outs includes 24 in Cairns, 22 in Townsville, 19 on the Cassowary Coast, 15 in Cloncurry and 10 in Mount Isa. 

Ergon Energy is also working to restore power to parts of Mount Isa, where more than 150 people remain without power due to fallen powerlines. 

Residents in Far North Queensland are also impacted by power outages, with 285 people affected in Euluma Creek and Julatten, near Port Douglas, and about 160 people impacted in Bramston Beach and Graham Range, south of Cairns.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Shane Kennedy said the weather system would "peak" on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"The worst of it is expected to be north of Longreach and closer to the east coast mostly north of Bowen,"

Mr Kennedy said.

There are currently two severe weather warnings in Queensland, and multiple flood warnings.

Grazier Ernie Camp's property sits on the banks of the swelling Leichhardt River in Gulf Country. (Supplied: Ernie Camp)

Mr Kennedy said the north-west warning, from Kowanyama to Winton, was the more severe of the two with intense rainfall and damaging wind gusts.

Severe weather warnings in place

There was also a severe weather warning for intense rainfall on the north-east coast from about Townsville to north of Innisfail

Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast for those areas, with two to six-hourly rainfall totals between 80 to 120 mm likely, and isolated falls in excess of 180mm possible.

The areas that may be affected include Townsville, Palm Island, Ingham, Cardwell, Tully, Rollingstone, Innisfail, Lucinda and Abergowrie.

Heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding is also forecast to continue in parts of the Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, North West and Central West forecast districts on Tuesday night and Wednesday.

The bureau warns locally intense rainfall could lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, with six-hourly rainfall totals of up to 150mm possible for several areas, including Cloncurry, Richmond, Julia Creek and Stamford.

Broadwater had recorded 106mm of rain in the three hours to 1:14am on Tuesday. 

A major flood warning remains in place for the Flinders River, with flooding occurring at Walkers Bend.

Moderate flood warnings are also current for the Cloncurry River, the Norman River, the Diamantina and Western River, and the Georgina River. 

A more general flood watch is in place across north-western Queensland and the North Tropical Coast, with communities urged to prepare for potential road closures, community isolation and impacts to livestock.

Parts of the Cassowary Coast recorded 24-hour rainfall totals of more than 300 millimetres.

Mr Kennedy said the tropical low should weaken from Wednesday and start to move south, bringing rain as far south as Windorah by Thursday.

Darby McGrath on Oakland Park station near Croyden, which recorded 313 millimetres in the past 24 hours. (Supplied: Jess Harvey)

SES warns against dangerous driving

The SES said its focus was assisting communities in north-west Queensland.

"I can see Mount Isa and Cloncurry being our two priorities and Normanton and Karumba pretty much isolated by road, they will need crews in there," regional director Daryl Camp said.

"They now have major flooding in their area so we expect the calls for assistance to go up."

Car found submerged in floodwaters at Cedar Creek Bridge in Bingil Bay. (Supplied: Lotus Shakespeare )

Mr Camp begged motorists to follow the "If it's flooded, forget it" messaging.

"One where a person drove into floodwaters and their vehicle stalled … don't drive into flood waters, the car's electrics will fail and you'll get stuck there," he said.

Another rescue he said involved people getting bogged after sightseeing around the stations.

"They're now with one of the station owners and that puts extra stress on the food they've put aside for themselves."

An SES flood boat deployed to pick up a stranded man and his dogs between Normanton and Croyden. (Supplied: Ashley Gallagher)

A motorist was also rescued after becoming stuck between Normanton and Croydon, grazier and SES volunteer Ashley Gallagher said.

"He was stuck in the middle of nowhere … luckily they've got a booster tower over there and he's got phone service so that he could ring people."

Outback communities cut off

The Flinders Highway linking Townsville to Cloncurry is cut in several locations, leaving some rural towns isolated.

McKinlay Shire mayor Janene Feegan said her small north-west community of Julia Creek had become "an island".

A flooded road in Julia Creek. (Supplied: Cheyne O'Brien)

The town has received 140.2mm of rain since 9am on Monday, flooding roads and stranding travellers.

"The wind is probably our biggest concern for graziers. It's howling,"

Ms Feegan said.

North-west Queensland residents were "very nervous" the heavy rainfall could become livelihood-threatening flooding, similar to what the region experienced in 2019 and 2023.

"In 2019, we all thought it was just a nice bit of rain but then it stayed there," Ms Feegan said.

"So we're all hoping and praying it does move on as anticipated."

Normanton grazier Ashley Gallagher is hoping to move his 400 head of cattle to higher ground. (Supplied: Ashley Gallagher)

Julia Creek grazier, Patrick Hick, said livestock on his Argle Station have been facing tough conditions, including 60 kilometre an hour winds on Monday. 

"We're up to 420mm for the week. Yesterday was a pretty tough day with continuous wind," he said. 

"Livestock would have been okay yesterday [Monday], but by the end of today, if we don't see the wind drop right off, the rain stop, and if we don't see an improvement in the weather today, it's going to be really tough on livestock. 

"They'll probably be right till late this afternoon, but if they have go through another tough night, that's going to be really hard."

Mr Hick said if conditions do not ease, livestock could start becoming fatigued which leads to them facing the risk of becoming bogged in the black soil. 

Wet season in full force

At Townsville, Mayor Nick Dametto said while the rain "had not been as heavy as expected" in the last few days, he urged residents to remain vigilant for the remainder of the wet season having evacuation and cyclone plans in place.

King tides are also forecast for the Townsville region from January 1, which could lead to flash flooding if any further rainfall hits.

The mayor said the Ross River Dam was just below 70 per cent, with potential to hit 100 per cent if rainfall continues.

Tully, also known as one of the wettest towns in Australia, has experienced heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours. (ABC Rural: Sophie Johnson)

Wettest town in Australia soaked again

At Tully, dubbed one of the wettest towns in Australia, sugar cane grower Bryce McDonald has measured more than 400 millimetres in his rain gauge over the past few days.

Crops have been drenched in north Queensland.  (ABC Rural: Sophie Johnson)

"It's the first time this year I think the rain gauge has been full in one 24-hour period," he said.

He said the heavy rainfall was earlier in the season than expected and made it "impossible to do anything until it dries up".

"It's more February rain than December rain," he said.

"The rain will be a potential yield stopper until the sun comes out again."

While the town about 200 kilometres north of Townsville is still accessible, Tully residents are accustomed to being isolated after heavy falls.

Owner of the Tully IGA Craig Teitzel said it had been an "absolute hectic" few days as shoppers stocked up on essentials.

"People tend to panic a little in their buying sprees," Mr Teitzel said.

"It's probably like a Christmas Eve feel to it, there's people lined up everywhere, the trolleys are overflowing."

Mr Teitzel said while he kept a "buffer of stock" for severe weather events, the isolation could make it difficult to keep shelves stocked.

"The rail closes quite often now so that makes it a challenge to everyone in north Queensland because it overloads the roads and makes it difficult for trucks to get to stores," he said.

Graziers welcomed the rainfall at first, but warn there can be too much of a good thing. (Supplied: Ernie Camp)