A woman has been killed by a tree as Queenslanders brace for more severe weather on Boxing Day with thunderstorms and rain forecast for large parts of the state.
The 59-year-old sustained severe head injuries after being hit by a tree at Helensvale on the Gold Coast.
She died at the scene.
"We were unable to revive her which was really quite confronting and quite sad," paramedic Jaye Newton said.
He described scenes "like a disaster zone" as he was forced to drive around fallen trees on the motorway.
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"It was an extraordinary weather event," he said.
"There were trees all over the road. We are talking whole big trees uprooted."
A man in his 70s was also injured by a tree branch that fell onto a tent in Helensvale. He is in a stable condition in hospital with pelvic and back injuries.
A collapsed roof put a man in his 90s in hospital with a head injury, where he remains in a stable condition.
Fallen power lines, felled trees smashing cars and homes and several drivers crashing into poles kept ambulance crews busy on Christmas Day.
It took paramedics an hour to wrench one person from their car that was hit by a large tree in the Hinterland district.
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Queenslanders have been warned to secure property, stay indoors and only travel on the roads if absolutely necessary.
"This came along quite quickly but the ferocity of it was extreme," Mr Newton said.
"Do everything you can to stay out of the storm and in somewhere safe."
Damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hail are likely between Mackay and the Sunshine Coast, and are possible south of Charters Towers, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are predicted for Tuesday over eastern, northern, and far northern Queensland.
Dreamworld and other Gold Coast theme parks have closed on Boxing Day due to the storms.
Severe heatwave conditions will continue in the northern interior and northwest, with maximum temperatures above average.
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Brisbane is expected to have a maximum temperature of 33C, with showers and the chance of a severe thunderstorm.
An upper trough will cross southern Queensland over the next few days, increasing the likelihood of showers and thunderstorms in the east.
The trough is expected to weaken from Wednesday, extending into a broad low-pressure area on Thursday and Friday, while a weak ridge extends along the east coast.
In the far north, the clean-up and repairs following ex-tropical cyclone Jasper and severe flooding continue.
Crews around Port Douglas and Mossman have reconnected more than 200km of water pipelines.
More than 4200 property damage assessments have been completed since the system delivered heavy rain and damaging winds.
Twelve homes have been confirmed destroyed, 126 properties are severely damaged and 554 moderately so.
Close to 9000 residents have received financial assistance payments.
Flood warnings remain in place for the Barcoo, Paroo River and Burnett rivers, with a flood watch for parts of the Cape York Peninsula.
