Flash flooding has swamped Brisbane — and storms in Sydney caused chaos — as “the biggest downpours in years” drenched five states at the weekend.

Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the Queensland capital copped an “epic” rain blast that swept away cars on the first day of summer, affecting suburbs such as West End and East Brisbane.

Wild weather also lashed Sydney late on Sunday, causing mayhem on the roads, train delays and flooding in parts of Double Bay.

Weatherzone warns that more intense storms could hit every state and territory in the coming week in a wet and wild start to summer.

Parts of Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT all had their biggest falls in years, according to Weatherzone.

The most significant flooding was in Queensland, with the Gold Coast hinterland saturated by more than 200 millimetres in under 24 hours.

Upper Springbrook was belted by 265 millimetres.

Flights between capital cities were disrupted as Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Hobart were drenched by downpours all within 24 hours of each other.

“In just one hour, Brisbane copped more than 40 millimetres, Sydney more than 25 millimetres and Canberra and Hobart about 10 millimetres each,” reported Weatherzone.

“Some suburbs in each other these cities received significantly more in as much time, amounting to more than 50 millimetres in a little over an hour, easily enough to bring flash flooding.

Weatherzone said some river levels rose by about 10 metres in under 12 hours, cutting off roads and forcing drivers to abandon their vehicles.

Five states had their heaviest rain in years.

It was the heaviest rain in seven years in South Australia’s Parrakie (44 millimetres).

Tasmania’s Eaglehawk Neck had its biggest falls in more than four years (103 millimetres) — its highest daily December rainfall in more than 90 years.

Queensland’s Urbenville (109 millimetres) had had seen rain like that in more than two years.

Victoria’s Apollo Bay (40 millimetres) also had its biggest falls in two years.

Canberra’s 40 millimetres was its most in a year.

“This sort of rainfall is more typical of late summer, rather than earlier summer or late spring,” said Weatherzone.

“This is largely due to the amount of moisture that has been building up in the atmosphere during the past week.

“Moisture has been filtering in from the northwest and the east into a low pressure trough which has been so slow-moving that moisture has reached levels normally only experienced in January or February.

“Looking ahead, this trough is now taking the biggest rainfall off the east coast.”

Wet week ahead

More intense rain and storms are expected across every state and territory this week as a trough causing storms in Western Australia on Sunday heads east.

“Those in central and eastern Australia will need to be on guard, listen out for warnings and put up with another spell of warm, humid and wet weather.”

Some of the biggest daily rainfall totals in each state and territory included:

• 265 millimetres in Upper Springbrook (Queensland)
• 207 millimetres in Gray (Tasmania)
• 186 millimetres in Tumbulgum (NSW)
• 128 millimetres Highvale (Qld) — highest daily fall in more than 60 years
• 100 millimetres in Brindabellas (ACT)
• 59 millimetres at Portland (Victoria)
• 44 millimetres at Parrakie (SA)