Flood alert in Victoria as monsoon drenches north Qld

Heavy rain will persist across drenched far north Queensland as towns near the Victorian-NSW border face their own flooding concerns.

A monsoon trough over the Cape York Peninsula is due to expand into the Coral Sea on Sunday, persisting for several days.

Some western parts of the peninsula have already received 150mm to 200mm in recent days, while more than 75mm fell on the outskirts of Cairns on Saturday.

As the clean-up continues in the area struck by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December, Queensland Premier Steven Miles said first responders had been rotated to manage fatigue between disasters.

“If and when the next one strikes, and we know in Queensland the next disaster is always just around the corner, we have to make sure they’re ready,” he said.

Showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy falls are likely to continue on the peninsula until late Sunday into Monday, at which point rainfall could begin to become more widespread, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

It coincides with abnormally high tides which have caused some minor flooding in Cairns streets.

Landslips and rockfalls have blocked roads in areas north of Cairns in Queensland. (Joshua Prieto/AAP PHOTOS)

Areas north of Cairns have also lost road access after landslips and rockfalls while the entire Douglas Shire, covering the Daintree, is subject to severe water restrictions due to damage to the mains supply.

At the other end of the country, Murray River towns of Tocumwal and Barham are on alert for flooding after substantial rainfall over the Campasie and Goulburn River catchments reached the border river.

Minor flooding is possible at Torrumbarry Weir and Barham in coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

River levels at Echuca are likely to remain below the minor flood level – welcome relief for those who experienced devastating flooding in November 2022.