Flood waters level in Cairns are the highest reached since records began more than a century ago, according to a regional flood expert.
Professor Jonathan Nott from the James Cook University told the ABC flood waters in far north Queensland is up to 40 per cent higher than the 1977 flood – previously the biggest on record for the area.
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“It’s a very, very serious flood,” he said.
“1977 was previously the largest flood in the gauge record, and this one has exceeded the 1977 record by around about 30 to 40 per cent again on top of that, so it’s a very substantial flood.”
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On Sunday night, Cairns Airport suspended operations for all flights until Monday morning following flood waters spilling over from the Barron River.
In an update on its website at 7.40pm on Sunday, the airport said it would reassess on Monday morning if flights could recommence in the afternoon.
A number of flights have already been cancelled or delayed and passengers are advised to contact airlines directly for information about specific flights.
In other areas, the Daintree River is the latest to be issued a major flood warning by the Bureau of Meteorology.
The river at Daintree Village reached 14.85 metres on Monday morning and was sitting at 14.25m just after 8am.
It means levels are well above the old record of 12.6m observed in 2019.
Barron River, Herbert River and the Tully and Murray Rivers have also been issued major flood warnings and remained in place on Monday morning.
Full flood summaries can be found on the Bureau of Meteorology website.