Cyclone could bring rain to southeast
Ex-cyclone Owen is dumping heavy rain in Queensland's far north and could reform into a cyclone by the middle of the week.
The system has generated 300mm of rain in parts of the far north after crossing the coast near Port Douglas about 3am this morning.
It's expected to continue heading west towards the Gulf of Carpentaria, where it could gather strength and become a cyclone again by Wednesday.
Moisture could also be dragged south and bring wet weather to Queensland's southeast corner, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
Severe weather warnings are current for communities from Port Douglas south to Ingham.
A flood watch is current for coastal catchments from Cairns south to Rollingstone, and a moderate flood warning is current for the Mulgrave River.
Communities around Cardwell, half way between Cairns and Townsville, have recorded 300mm of rain, most of it falling in the past six to 12 hours. Other far northern communities have seen falls of 200mm.
The system also brought strong winds to the region, with gusts of 90-100km/h recorded.
Senior forecaster Rick Threlfall says system is heading west and the warm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
"It could potentially come back as Owen mark II," he said, with a moderate chance the cyclone will reform on Wednesday.
