A family of four has been rescued after a rapidly rising river surrounded their caravan on the banks of a river in northern NSW.

The dramatic rescue on Monday came as more heavy rain and storms battered the region, and across the border in south-east Queensland.

It was one of three rescues in the area after the Oxley River inundated the area around the caravan near Tyalgum, leaving the family stranded in fast-flowing water.

“I think anyone in that situation would be a bit shaken up, but fortunately there were no major injuries,” Tweed SES unit commander Tim Carlson said.

“They were all a just bit cold for being in the rain and water.”

The other local rescues were at Condong and Uki, for people who struck trouble while driving through floodwaters.

In all, the NSW State Emergency Service has conducted 13 rescues in the past 24 hours.

North of the border, Queensland Police also reported rescues from surging floodwaters.

The threat of dangerous flooding spurred another warning from the Bureau of Meteorology on Monday. It said intense rain in some areas of SE Queensland could lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash floods.

“A very dangerous thunderstorm is likely to produce heavy, locally intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding was detected near South Stradbroke Island and Jacobs Well,” it said.

The weather was forecast to affect residents at Coolangatta, Logan, Beenleigh, Tamborine Mountain and Springbrook.

The same area has been battered by storms in the past 10 days.

Thousands of people remain without power after a tornado struck on Christmas night.

Queensland Acting Environment Minister Grace Grace said 80 to 90 per cent of those affected had since had power restored. But those who are still without may not be reconnected until January 5.

“There are still some areas around Jimboomba, Mount Tamborine where we’re having to rebuild the network,” she said.

“We’ve got every available crew on deck making sure they can restore them but with weather like today and the severe weather warning is causing a bit of havoc with that.”

At Upper Springbrook on the Gold Coast, almost 300 millimetres of rain fell in the 12 hours to 7am on Monday. There were 165 millimetres at Binna Burra and Worongary Creek in the same period, the bureau said.

“The heaviest rainfall will be associated with shower and thunderstorm activity, which is likely to be hit-and-miss in nature across the warning area,” it added in an alert.

“There is significant uncertainty in the movement and timing of features but at this stage the heavy rainfall risk may persist into Tuesday morning and may extend further north.”

Eighteen roads on the Gold Coast were closed on Monday morning due to flooding.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate said the heavy rain was unlikely to ease until at least Tuesday afternoon.

“If you don’t have to go out today, stay home,” he said.

“With the boaties, stay off the water. It’s an obvious statement – but it’s dangerous.”

Tate said concerns were highest for the Gold Coast hinterland and northern Gold Coast, but it was hard to know exactly where the most rain would fall.

“If you’ve got uncertainty about your house and you live near a river, don’t wait for evacuation – call. We’re analysing our flood modelling, and I can tell you, this is the most difficult flood modelling that I’ve seen since
Tropical Cyclone Oswald in 2013,” he said.

“It’s a very unusual storm prediction.

“The other thing is that when it stops raining, the floodwater will still flow. Because we’ve got so much in the hills, the run-offs will continue.”

Tate said the local State Emergency Service had more than 500 jobs on its list. Ten crews have come from NSW to assist.

Queensland Police also urged people to stay off the road.

“Even in the early hours of this morning we were detecting drivers speeding, not driving to the conditions and being an absolute menace,” Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream said.

Two evacuation centres were to open on the Gold Coast – at Nerang and Coomera – on Monday afternoon.

North-east NSW was also on high alert for for rain and flooding.

With downpours predicted for the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands regions on Monday, flash flooding was reported at Lismore, Wollongbar, as well as Oxley, by mid-afternoon.

Flood warnings included the Tweed River at Murwillumbah and Tumbulgum.

Up to 160 millimetres of rain could fall in periods of between three and six hours, while 24-hour totals of more than 250 millimetres were also possible.

“Localised intense rainfall is possible under areas of persistent heavy thunderstorms,” it said.

Coffs Harbour Airport had nearly 190 millimetres in the three hours to 2.50pm on Sunday.

-with AAP