Australia

New Zealanders denied funding after being caught up in the devastating Queensland floods are set to be granted a special Government payout.

Many Kiwis had complained they were ineligible for a $1000 Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP), due to 2001 legislation denying social service payments to those without Australian citizenship or permanent residency.

Tropical Cyclone Anthony, which formed into a category one system on Sunday morning, is unlikely to threaten the Queensland coast, at least in the next few days.

On Sunday, Anthony was moving fairly swiftly to the east, away from the Queensland coast.

A long wave ridge has been allowing heat to build across Australia's interior.

Parts of Western Australia and South Australia saw high maximums in the last two days.

Eucla boiled with a top of 40 degrees yesterday, 14 above average and their hottest day since February last year.

New Zealand’s first civil defence response team deployed internationally returned from flood ravaged Queensland yesterday and team members can be proud of the contribution they have made to the clean-up work in Australia according to Civil Defence Minister John Carter.

A severe storm warning for damaging winds and flash flooding was issued for parts of southeast QLD yesterday evening NZT, for the second day running.

Wide Bay was hit by storms just after midday, bringing as much as 10mm in ten minutes at Maryborough and over 58mm in their gauge between 9am and 3pm.

This Brisbane Flood Simulation shows Brisbane in 5.5m flood, what was originally forecast for Brisbane.

While the flood waters didn't quite reach this level it's still a remarkable animation that shows just how much of downtown Brisbane went under water when the river flooded last week.

This simulation is based on accurate spatial data produced by AAM.

Storms are redeveloping over flood-affected areas of Queensland and northern New South Wales, heavy enough to cause brief flash flooding but not nearly as intense as last week's.

Flash flooding is easily the most likely feature of the storms which will lead to brief rises in rivers and creeks. Large hail and damaging winds are also a possibility, but mainly on high ground.

The biggest storms are forming on and near the ranges but are travelling to the northeast towards the coast. These are slow-moving bringing as much as 30mm of rain in under an hour.

One Victorian town is assessing the damge while the other is preparing for the worst as river peaks cause extensive damage in the state

Rivers are expected to peak in the western Victorian town of Horsham.

The death toll in Queensland's flood crisis has risen to 17.

State Premier Anna Bligh says the body of a mature-aged woman had been recovered at a home in Grantham in the Lockyer Valley.

Ms Bligh said the woman's body was recovered in a home which had been searched twice before.

The discovery was made during a final search of the building.

The forecast for Queensland is terrible. More rain is expected - not just in the next few days but the coming months.

The tropical and sub-tropical areas of Australia are now entering their wet season. La Nina is only making conditions worse.

The floods may put an end to many businesses - particularly farmers who are facing this after several years of droughts.