South-east Queenslanders told to stay home and brace for more severe thunderstorms
South-east Queenslanders already sodden from days of flooding are being asked to stay home and brace for more severe thunderstorms today.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned severe thunderstorms could return to the region on Friday, bringing heavy rainfall and damaging wind to an area desperate to clean-up the mud and debris.
State leaders yesterday asked south-east Queenslanders, particularly schoolchildren, to stay at home today given the "unstable" weather conditions.
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Rubbish is placed at flooded Vincent Street, Auchenflower, in Brisbane. Getty
The Bureau of Meteorology said the possible storms were most likely from late morning onwards.
Education Minister Grace Grace said schools would be open where safe but only for children of essential workers or in vulnerable situations.
"Our message is that students should stay at home wherever possible though," she said, on Twitter.
"If you don't need to be out on the roads, don't be.
"Safety of students and staff is of course paramount, and this weather is of serious concern."
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described the conditions as "unprecedented", saying she'd never seen "storms and floods like this all being thrown at us at once".
"The conditions are going to be unstable for the next 24 to 48 hours," she said, yesterday.
"So across the entire south-east, I'm asking people tomorrow to think about not being on the roads and staying at home."
The forecast was a blow for residents keen to get on with the mammoth task of cleaning up days of flood damage.
The inner-west suburb of Auchenflower was a case study in the toll the return of the rain had taken on exhausted residents.
Water started pouring from stormwater drains lining the street as rubbish and debris piled on the pavement floated through the neighbourhood as properties flooded again.
"This has just broken me," one man said.
Brisbane City Council yesterday cancelled official volunteer clean up activities and called on the "Mud Army 2.0" to stand down.
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