UPDATE: See our 10pm update with the latest Severe Weather info
A trough which extends from the Maranoa and Warrego district into the central interior and is expected to deepen overnight and during Thursday before slipping southeast through southeastern districts on Friday. A rain band is currently in areas to the east of the trough and is expected to develop further in the next 24 hours.
A Severe Weather Warning has been issued by the Bureau for heavy rain in the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Maranoa and Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts with 24 hour totals of 70-120mm likely.
At this stage the Southeast forecast district - which includes the Gold Coast region - is currently not within the warning area.
However, if the latest computer generated rainfall forecast maps are anything to go by, whilst we're expecting 25-50mm Thursday, 50-100mm is expected on Friday - possibly even up to 100-150mm in some coastal areas - it's highly likely the warning area will include the Gold Coast by tomorrow evening.
The current forecast for Thursday is for rain and the chance of thunderstorms with possible heavy falls during the evening. Min 22, Max 25. Winds easterly 20 to 30 km/h.
Friday's forecast is obviously more rain, with possible heavy falls and isolated thunderstorms, easing to scattered showers during the evening. Min 22, Max 25. Winds east to northeasterly 20 to 25 km/h tending north to northeasterly 25 to 35 km/h in the morning.
By the time the weekend arrives, most of the rain should have cleared leaving scattered showers and possible storms, with temperatures back up in the 30's.
We'll keep you updated as this rain event evolves, thanks for reading!