Northeast Queensland residents are warned to prepare to evacuate as life-threatening floods and more than 600mm of rain are forecast to inundate the region.

Townsville Local Disaster Management Group has this morning issued an emergency alert for Cluden, Hermit Park, Idalia, Oonoonba, Railway Estate and Rosslea as dangerous flooding is expected within the next 24 hours.

Residents are being urged to get ready to leave and find a safe and high place away from flooding.

“Emergency services will be door-knocking properties at Cluden, Hermit Park, Idalia, Oonoonba, Railway Estate and Rosslea today to advise residents that they must prepare to leave by tomorrow,” the warning read.

“This situation is evolving and conditions could change quickly. You may need to leave earlier.”

Similar warnings were issued in parts of the Cassowary Coast this morning with South Johnstone residents advised to leave immediately and Mourilyan residents urged to prepare to evacuate.

Evacuation centres are open around the state. 

Premier David Crisfaulli has urged affected residents to listen to the advice from emergency services.

“This is really important that Queenslanders understand that if somebody turns up at your door from police, fire, SES or our friends at the Australian Defence Force, they are there to give you a message and it is important that people heed that message,” he said at a press conference this afternoon.

“Make your provisions in the event you do have to go.”

“The most important thing is that we get through this without a loss of life. It’s far more important than any asset, any home, any piece of community infrastructure,” he added.

Crisafulli said he’s working with the federal government and support will be delivered.

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding between Lucinda and Ayr, including Townsville, as more than 600mm of locally intense rainfall is possible today.

Flash flooding is also forecast between Tully and Cape Upstart, and inland areas including Cardwell, Ingham, Townsville, Giru and Ayr, with up to 350mm of rain expected today.

Flood watches and warnings are currently in place for several catchments and rivers with major warnings in place for the Haughton River Catchment, Herbert River, Ross River and Bohle River.

Crocodiles are being swept up in the floodwaters and ending up in residential areas.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Matthew Collopy stressed that this was a “significant weather event”.

“We’ve already seen extreme rainfall, and it is that rainfall, that intense, localised and widespread rainfall, that is our major concern,” he said at the press conference alongside the premier today.

“It is possible that we’ll see two to three-day rainfall totals in excess of 1000mm.”

In the 24 hours to 9am today, North Ward saw the worst rainfall of 381mm followed by Deeragun with 328mm and Bushland Beach with 321mm.

Northern Queensland, particularly between Cairns and Mackay, has been lashed with damaging wet weather for the past week.

“Some of those falls have reached 500mm and even point locations up to 1000mm over the past week,” Collopy said.

There are three troughs currently within the monsoon trough; one off the coast of Ingham, another over the Gulf of Carpentaria and a third out in the Coral Sea.

The trough over the Gulf of Carpentaria has a low probability of forming into a tropical cyclone and the trough in the Coral Sea has a moderate probability of forming into a tropical cyclone.

The conditions are expected to continue into mid-next week, depending on the strength and position of the weather system.