THURSDAY, JANUARY 30

Two people were yesterday rescued from rising floodwaters in Gordonvale, which has been hit by a deluge of rain from a tropical low hovering off the coast near Innisfail.

Officers from Edmonton and Gordonvale Stations helped rescue two people from floodwaters and evacuated several other residents.

Emergency services were called at about 11am following reports of heavy rainfall causing flash flooding.

A 94-year-old man and 64-year-old man were rescued.

Some areas have recorded more than 200 millimetres of rain in the past day, including 290mm at a rain gauge near Babinda.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology this morning downgraded the cyclone warning for the low-pressure system from “moderate” to “low”, saying there was now only a 15 per cent chance of it turning into a cyclone.

“The low is likely to stay offshore during today, but then move back towards the coast from Friday,” the BoM update stated.

“The risk of this system becoming a tropical cyclone is only low. However, strong to gale-force winds and heavy to locally intense rain may develop south of the low.”

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29

There is a 25 per cent chance that a tropical low currently sitting off the coast between Cairns and Innisfail will turn into a cyclone from Saturday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Tropical Low 13U has been heaping rain on the region all this week, including more than 110mm in the Gordonvale area - which resulted in people needing to be evacuated from their homes due to rising flood waters - causing a “moderate” cyclone warning to be issued today.

Queensland Police also today issued its own warning about the worsening weather, saying everyone in the region should have their cyclone plan formulated by now.

“I’d encourage the community to monitor the warnings and advice from the Bureau of Meteorology, “ district disaster coordinator Chief Superintendent Kevin Fitzgibbon told a press conference at 12.30pm today.

“I’d also encourage the community to consider your personal planning (and) that you have a strategy in place.”

There are currently five tropical lows sitting off the coast of Australia, with two of those given a 30 per cent chance of developing into a cyclone by next week and two others given a 25 per cent chance.