Parts of Brisbane's CBD are being evacuated as the Brisbane River begins to rise, bursting its banks in the West End.
After weeks of flooding in the state - and unprecedented flash flooding which has killed at least eight people in Toowoomba and surrounding areas- Queensland's capital is bracing for the worst.
In the West End of the city, people have been urged to move to higher ground.
Police have urged all residents who live or are currently near the Brisbane River in the West End to move to safer areas.
They also say that the Ipswich Motorway, running to the west of Brisbane may shortly be closed due to flooding in both directions.
West of the city in Forest Hill, an Emergency Alert has been issued for flash flooding where 200 people have been evacuated, AAP reported.
The alert says people should warn neighbours to secure their belongings and evacuate to the School of Arts Hall in Railway Street. There are also reports that Laidley, between Toowoomba and Brisbane, is being evacuated.
There are reports that low-lying areas in parts of the Northern Suburbs, such as Strathpyne, are being evacuated, with levels expected to exceed those of the devastating 1974 floods.
Toowoomba toll to rise
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned that the flood crisis in Queensland is far from over, warning there are "dark days ahead".
"The nation needs to brace itself for the fact… the death toll is likely to rise," Ms Gillard says.
Meanwhile, Queensland police have confirmed the following eight victims of
flash flooding in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley:
-A woman and child in a vehicle in the Toowoomba CBD
-A woman and two children in a vehicle at Grantham
-A middle aged man and a young man in the Murphys Creek area
-An elderly woman in her home at Helidon
Meanwhile, whole families are unaccounted for after flash floods in southern Queensland, with eight confirmed dead and Premier Anna Bligh warning the toll could rise dramatically.
Ms Bligh said authorities were considering declaring a mega-disaster zone over a "significant region" of Queensland, a move that would be unprecedented in the state's history.
"We are just looking for an appropriate northern line and everything south of that would be declared," she said.
The premier said four of the confirmed deaths were children, and there were fears for many other people, with 72 unaccounted for.
"We have eight confirmed deaths at this point but we expect that figure to rise and potentially quite dramatically," Ms Bligh told reporters on Tuesday.
If you are concerned about relatives in Toowoomba, call 1300 99 31 91. To contact the SES in Queensland, call 132 500, and head to the Department of Main Roads for full road closures information.
