Saturday 14 May 2022 02:40 AM Queensland floods: Woman gives birth on oval in middle of flood, Gympie ... trends now
A Queensland city is under threat as a swelling river threatens to break its banks amid flooding rains that have already inundated several towns in the state – and caused a woman to give birth on a sports field.
The Mary River at Gympie is expected to reach a peak of 15 metres on Saturday afternoon, while the nearby Bruce Highway was closed on Saturday morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned heavy rainfall will continue to fall over Gympie, Maroochydore, and Bundaberg throughout Saturday, though conditions are expected to ease over Brisbane and Gladstone.
Low lying townships in Queensland like those on the floor of the Lockyer Valley including Grantham (pictured) and Laidley will continue to experience flooding rains over the weekend
Pictured: A bridge over the Mary River near Gympie is just metres away from going under
Warnings have also been issued for low-lying towns in the southeast of the state, as pictures emerged yesterday of Laidley in the Lockyer Valley with its main street submerged. Areas such as Grantham are also experiencing inundation, with eight evacuation centres opened in the area.
The coastal town of Agnes Water in the Gladstone area was cut off on Friday night, with reports a woman was forced to give birth on a sports field after being evacuating from her home.
The woman gave birth to a healthy girl just before a rescue helicopter arrived to a rescue the parents.
Floodwaters threaten the main street of Gympie (Albert Park between the river and Monland Street) as the river continues to rise, reaching 14metres overnight
Photos from locals (pictured) shows roads in townships underwater as wild weather in Queensland continues
Pictured: A woman walks through the floodwaters of Grantham on Thursday. The waters have since risen further, cutting many nearby towns off from each other
The Brisbane River (pictured) has again broken its banks after doing so earlier this year
Queenslanders have been warned to expect heavy falls and flash flooding into the weekend with widespread rain to persist
