An eight-year-old boy and two adults have been killed after their car was swept away by floodwaters in southeast Queensland.
Police were called to Dances Road in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, just after 5.30pm.
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene along with a man in his 70s and a woman in her 30s.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described the deaths as tragic, saying police investigations were underway.
"On behalf of all Queenslanders we express our deepest sympathies," she told reporters on Friday night.
She described the storm cell as "off the scale".
Caboolture alone received 333mm of rain from 9am, with 277mm falling within three hours in the afternoon.
At one point, the road to Caboolture Hospital was cut off and new patients diverted to nearby hospitals.
The State Emergency Service had responded to 1400 incidents throughout the day, and there were 19 swift-water rescues, Ms Palaszczuk said.
The wild weather, caused by a low-pressure system, moved south to coincide with peak-hour traffic in the capital.
Dozens of people were rescued from floodwaters, train services were suspended and cars were seen floating down roads that turned to rivers.
Dams including Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine were forced to release water and the NRL was forced to postpone the Anzac Rugby League Test at Suncorp Stadium to Sunday.
"This has been an extreme weather event," Ms Palaszczuk said.
Conditions are expected to ease by midnight after the storm passes further south through the Gold Coast and hinterland, she said.
But she urged Queenslanders to remain vigilant, obey road closures and keep away from creeks and waterways.
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