5h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 1:03amStay up to date with the latest emergency warnings
ABC Emergency will broadcast regular warnings on ABC Radio.
You can find more information, including a map of all the warnings, by clicking here.
Airlie Beach and Whitsundays:- 89.9 FMMackay and surrounds : 101.1FM Moranbah and surrounds : 104.9 FMTownsville, Burdekin and Hinchinbrook Coast : 630 AM
10m agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 6:08am
Van ‘shuddering’ as ex-TC Koji passed
Sheena Gyss and Colin Payne. (ABC News: Johanna Marie)
Sheena Gyss and Colin Payne watched the weather system pass from the confines of their campervan in Mackay.
Ms Gyss says she has been through cyclones before, but not while in a caravan.
“By 7am we were starting to see some decent wind gusts,” she says.
“Between 9am and 10am that is when the van was shuddering – that’s an interesting experience.”
Reporting by Johanna Marie
21m agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 5:56am
Bruce Highway reopens
According to Queensland Traffic, the Bruce Highway north of Bowen has reopened.
The latest advice to motorists is to proceed with caution. Long delays are expected.
There is still water over the highway in several places.
(Supplied: Queensland Traffic)
The most up-to-date information is available online.
32m agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 5:45am
What locals and tourists in Airlie Beach thought of ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji
As conditions in some areas begin to ease, ABC reporters are out and about talking to locals and tourists about their experience of ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji.
Tahinlee and Bec Eden said they bunkered down at their home in Cannonvale, near Airlie Beach in north Queensland, as the system made landfall earlier this morning.
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Meanwhile, tourist Sebastien Massart was on his catamaran at the Coral Sea Marina, when the system made landfall.
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Reporting by Jasmine Hines in Airlie Beach.
44m agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 5:34am
Finch Hatton locals shocked by height of floodwaters
Jayden Deem took these videos at Finch Hatton, inland of Mackay where some of the heaviest falls from Koji were recorded.
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Mr Deem woke up to heavy rain on his tin roof and when he went outside to inspect, he was shocked to see how far the water had risen.
He says the nearby flood wall was holding back the deluge, and if it wasn’t there, homes would have been inundated.
“Everyone on the other side of the highway to us definitely would have water at our feet by now,” Mr Deems says.
Mr Deem says he’s heard that some homes have been water damaged.
“It’s had a devastating impact for people along the riverbank. I’ve heard there’s people who have had water in their homes,” he says.
“This is the biggest flowing of water and flood that I’ve seen.
“It’s really a sight to behold.”
55m agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 5:23am
Ports start to reopenWhitsunday Area reopened at 2pm.Mackay Port partially reopened as of 2pm. Bowen and Abbot Point area all clear to resume operations.Townsville Port reopened as of 8am.
A number of boats have become unmoored in Airlie Beach. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
(ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
1h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 5:10am
Winds, flooding eases in Mackay on Sunday afternoon
Winds have begun easing in Mackay on Sunday afternoon, says our reporter Liam O’Connell, who is on the ground.
Flooding at Finch Hatton in the Upper Pioneer Valley on Sunday. (Supplied: Jayden Deem)
Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson told ABC Radio heavy flooding along the upper Pioneer Valley was also easing, with water now subsiding alongside roads.
He urged people to remain cautious.
“We’re not out of the woods yet.”
1h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 5:01am
Update on power outages
The number of households without power has continued to climb slightly.
Ergon says 6,000 people in the Whitsundays region are without power at 3pm, while more than 16,000 households in the Mackay region have no power.
1h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 4:56am
Cattle lost in Finch Hatton
Michael Seymour at Finch Hatton, west of Mackay, says he has never seen such intense rainfall.
The area recorded some of the highest rainfall totals due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji of between 250mm and 350mm.
Heavy rainfall was recorded in Finch Hatton, west of Mackay. (Supplied: Jayden Deem)
“How much damage is done in such a short period was just unbelievable,” Mr Seymour said.
He says floodwaters have gone through his neighbour’s property and impacted his shed.
Mr Seymour says he believes he’s lost 70 cattle in the deluge.
“It’s just destroyed everything … none of us have anticipated this amount of rain,” he said.
“Cattle have been washed away.
“I was talking to an old bloke in his 80s and he said he’d never seen the creek come up so quick, so fast.”
1h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 4:45am
PM says federal government stands ready to support north Qld
Earlier today, Anthony Albanese held a press conference in Victoria as firefighters were continuing to battle multiple out-of-control bushfires.
He said his thoughts were also with north Queenslanders at this time.
“The federal government stands ready to assist the Queensland government, local governments and the people of Queensland during, and importantly, in the aftermath of the event,” he said.
1h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 4:37am
Man and dog escape boat after it runs aground
ABC reporter Jasmine Hines spoke to Glenn Wright, who climbed off the rocks at 2:30am on Sunday after his boat, which he lives on, ran aground at Airlie Beach.
65-year-old Glenn Wright is an experienced yachtsman. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
He made it to the shore wearing nothing but a pair of pants, accompanied by his beloved dog Tank.
The nine-year-old American staffy had some cuts from the ordeal, but the pair were otherwise unharmed physically.
The 65-year-old experienced yachtsman said he was not sure if any of his belongings would be salvageable at this stage.
Adam Anderson also took this video earlier today of a boat running aground at Airlie Beach.
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Whitsunday Mayor Ry Collins said he was concerned about the conditions.
“The coast is really whipped up at the moment,” he said.
“We’ve seen around about four vessels come away from their moorings in the Airlie Beach area and one in Bowen.”
1h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 4:27am
Risk of flooding remains ‘very real’ in Burdekin
In the Burdekin area, to Mackay’s north, Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort says her focus is on Giru and the surrounding areas.
She told ABC News the Haughton River, where flooding is possible, was an area of concern.
“While we have avoided the worst of the tropical cyclone the risk of flooding remains very real,” she says.
“I am asking people to stay alert and stay informed.”
A severe weather warning for heavy, locally intense rainfall is current for the Haughton catchment.
1h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 4:26am
WATCH: Water floods backyard in Mackay
Jan Holden captured this video of water flowing into her backyard in Mackay on Sunday morning.
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2h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 4:16am
Some disruptions to NBN
Across most of Queensland, the NBN network continues to operate as normal, although two sites have been impacted by the weather.
An NBN fixed wireless site at Woodwark East near Airlie Beach has sustained damage to a transmission link which has disrupted services to 320 premises.An NBN site in Brandon, near Ayr, has sustained cable damage which has disrupted services to 14 premises in the area.
Technicians are on the ground and on standby to repair any damage to NBN infrastructure once it is safe to do so.
2h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 4:09am
Traffic banks up with Bruce Highway cut
Traffic is banked up at Merinda, near Bowen, where the Bruce Highway is currently cut.
Traffic is banked up at Merinda, near Bowen, where the Bruce Highway is currently closed. (ABC News: Meghan Dansie)
Rajo and Jaro Rykers are waiting at a nearby service station, hoping to continue their journey to the Sunshine Coast later today.
“We decided to try and outrun the cyclone, but we didn’t quite make it,” Mr Rykers said.
Rajo and Jaro Rykers tried to outrun the cyclone. (ABC News: Meghan Dansie)
“There’s quite a lot of flooding and we worried that it might come over the road, but so far so good until we got to here.”
Reporting by Meghan Dansie near Bowen
2h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 3:58am
Latest update from the BOM with expected rainfall totals in the next 24 hours
The BOM’s Sue Oates says in the next 24 hours, the low will continue to move south to south-west at 18km/h.
It will continue to produce heavy rain and in some areas, local gusts up to 90km/h into this afternoon.
“There will probably be an easing of winds later in the day today and into Monday,” she said.
In the next 24 hours, rainfall totals of between 100mm and 250mm are expected, however there could be isolated falls up to 340mm.
Areas between Ayr and St Lawrence would get the worse of the weather today but it could move further south and inland in the next 24 hours.
“The system has the potential to produce locally more intense rainfall, which may produce life-threatening flash flooding,” Ms Oates says.
“And that’s the sort of rain we’re seeing on the Eungella range at the moment, so the system has the potential to produce that today and into Monday.”
2h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 3:54am
Two adults, five children rescued from residence
Rapid creek rises at Finch Hatton, west of Mackay, led to two men and five children becoming trapped at a residence this morning.
“At one stage, the water caused them to climb up onto tables,” Disaster and emergency management deputy commissioner Chris Stream says.
He says when the water level fell, first responders were able to bring them to safety.
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2h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 3:48am
Boat sinks at Cannonvale, authorities advise against entering water
Disaster and emergency management deputy commissioner Chris Stream says two men were onboard a vessel when it started taking on water near Pigeon Island about 9:30am.
He says the two men made their way to shore where they were assessed by paramedics.
He says a number of boats have broken their moorings and washed against the shoreline.
“We would urge people not to enter the water, particularly for those vessels that are now up against the shoreline,” he says.
Marine Rescue Queensland and water police are in the area.
Boats washed aground at Cannonvale, near Airlie Beach. (ABC News)
2h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 3:38am
Two rescued after Google Maps directs driver down closed road
A mother and two children needed help this morning after their car was caught in floodwaters at Bogie, west of Bowen.
Disaster and emergency management deputy commissioner Chris Stream says the woman walked to a nearby homestead for help.
“This was a person who came upon a road-closed area, entered details into Google Maps and then Google Maps then took them down a side road, which was unfortunately flooded,” he says.
“As we’re seeing, the updates within Google Maps are not up-to-date with regards to road closures and flooding.”
Premier David Crisafulli says he is glad they are safe and well.
“In a disaster it is people that come first,” he says.
2h agoSun 11 Jan 2026 at 3:28am
Wind gusts clocked at 133km/h
BOM meteorologist Sue Oates says wind gusts up to 113km/h were recorded at Hamilton Island, in north Queensland, as the system approached the mainland on Sunday.
However, the strongest gust hit 133 km/h on Saturday afternoon, when Koji was offshore as a category 2 cyclone.
In the last 12 hours, the highest rainfall total was recorded in the ranges west of Mackay. The Mattie O’Neil Bridge at Cattle Creek got 370mm, but there’s been widespread falls of between 250mm to 350mm in that area.
“That’s some pretty significant rainfall in the Pioneer River catchment,” Ms Oates says.