“Saturday is the danger zone in particular,” he said.

“What we’re seeing from the BoM is that totals of several hundred millimetres are very much likely in south-east Queensland but they can also potentially exceed the levels we saw in the 2022 flood.

“If that is not a reason to take this seriously, I don’t know what is, because we know what happened in 2022.”

Schrinner advised residents to remove bins from the kerb and bring loose items, such as outdoor furniture and plants, indoors.

“There’s no further waste collections happening before the cyclone arrives. Bins can become projectiles,” he said.

“We don’t always get this many days to prepare in the lead-up to a natural disaster, and in 2022 there was literally no time to prepare.

“That opportunity has been afforded to us this time; both government, residents, and people have taken it up, and I’m grateful for that opportunity.”

— Veronica Lenard