'Stay indoors': Warning issued with month's worth of rain on the way

Parts of South East Queensland and Northern NSW have been lashed by wild rain with some areas receiving more than 400mm in just 24 hours.

Flood warnings remain in place after a coastal trough hit the east coast late on Saturday bringing torrential rain which hammered down near the NSW-Queensland border through to Sunday morning.

Upper Springbrook on the Gold Coast received 424mm between 9am Saturday AEST and 4am Sunday. Nearby Tomewin and Currumbin each received more than 360mm in the same time frame.

Brisbane was offered somewhat of a reprieve but still copped about 20mm between 9am Saturday and 8am Sunday.

It bucketed down in Northern NSW too. Kingscliff, just south of Tweed, was drenched with 233mm in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday 9am AEDT.

• 'A step beyond': Australian suburb singled out over 'unprecedented' weather

• Why Australia will see more mozzies this summer

• Australia set for wettest summer in decade despite hot November

Nearby Tumbulgum copped 282mm.

And the deluge isn’t expected to stop anytime soon.

Month’s worth of rain on the way

Falls of up to 150mm are forecast for Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts on Sunday and Monday.

The heaviest rain is expected on Sunday with gale-force winds, dangerous swells and surf and flooding likely.

"It's looking like some locations could see a month's worth of rainfall, particularly on Sunday night, within a 12 to 18-hour period," BOM meteorologist Rosa Hoff told AAP.

A severe weather warning for damaging winds, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf is in place from Fraser Island to the NSW border.

Big swells up to 4.5m are also expected and a flood watch alert is in place for low-lying areas.

Damaging winds with gusts up to 90km/h are also possible.

Significant beach erosion in coastal areas is also possible into Tuesday when a new-moon king tide is forecast.

The 1000km-long mass of cold air set to deliver the rain moved east over the Great Dividing Range late on Friday and it started bucketing down.

The situation in northern New South Wales is also expected to deteriorate through Sunday night and Monday.

NSW authorities say that heavy rain, damaging winds, flash flooding and hazardous beach conditions are possible in the NSW north.

Sunshine Coast airport copped 93mm by Saturday morning and North Stradbroke Island received 80mm before conditions eased during the afternoon.

But the massive weather system is set to reload on Sunday.

Warning to stay indoors and take precautions

Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Mark Ryan said people need to plan ahead if they intend travelling.

"Have a back-up plan, including an alternative route, if the weather takes a turn," he said.

He also urged people to prepare properties and protect loved ones.

"Staying indoors during bad weather, removing debris from around the home and having emergency and evacuation plans are all simple steps people can take," he said.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Greg Leach said experienced teams were ready to respond if an emergency developed.

He urged people to stay away from floodwater and swollen storm drains.

"Floodwater can contain things like rubbish, sewerage and other contaminants such as poisons - the safe option is to steer clear," he said.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife urged people to reconsider plans to visit national parks in the state's southeast during the wild weather.

There are significant risks to visitors from flooded creeks or falling trees, Acting Senior Ranger Jessica Rosewell warned.

with AAP

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.