Keep an eye on conditions and drive carefully

Cairns residents are being urged to drive to the conditions with rainfall expected to continue for the next few days.

The Bureau of Meteorology has recorded more than 200mm of rainfall in parts of the Cairns region over the weekend.

A minor flood warning has been issued for the Mulgrave and Russell rivers.

There are no warnings current for the Barron River, however all residents are encouraged to stay vigilant for isolated flash flooding across the region.

The Cairns Local Disaster Management Group has moved to alert and is actively monitoring the weather system.

People are encouraged to stay informed at the Cairns Disaster Dashboard as rivers and creeks will react very quickly to further rainfall.

Visit http://disaster.cairns.qld.gov.au/ or http://www.bom.gov.au/. You can also tune into the ABC on 801AM, 95.5FM or 106.7FM.

Never drive, ride or walk through floodwater - if it's flooded, forget it.

For flood emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500. For life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Be prepared for king tides

Residents are advised that king tides will be experienced in Cairns from tomorrow Monday 18 March through to Monday 25 March and peaking on Thursday 21 March.

Cairns Regional Council would like to remind motorists that tidal flooding is saltwater, which can damage cars on contact. Avoid parking cars in low-lying tidal areas and never drive through floodwaters.

Motorists should drive carefully and slowly, not only for the safety of road users and pedestrians, but to lessen the impact of bow waves, which can push water into nearby properties.

Council may close roads which are inundated by tidal flooding to prevent damage to private property.

Motorists are required to adhere to signs advising the road is closed and should find an alternative route until the road is reopened.

The impact of these king tides on low lying areas could be exacerbated by heavy rainfall.

King tide levels for Cairns are expected at the following times (other areas may vary):

• Monday 18 March: 2.83m at 6.10am
• Tuesday 19 March: 2.94m at 6.47am
• Wednesday 20 March: 3m at 7.20am
• Thursday 21 March: 3.01m at 7.48am
• Friday 22 March: 3m at 8.13am
• Saturday 23 March: 2.96m at 8.34am
• Sunday 24 March: 2.9m at 8.51am
• Monday 25 March: 2.82m at 9.05am

Streets that are most likely to be impacted by king tides include:

• Redden St, Portsmith
• Tingira St, Portsmith
• Liberty St, Portsmith
• Walters St, Portsmith
• Trawler Base Rd, Portsmith
• Bramp Cl, Portsmith
• Cook St, Portsmith
• Fearnley St, Portsmith
• Parts of Aumuller St (near Comport St), Portsmith
• Spence St and the Esplanade intersection, Cairns City
• Parts of Draper St (Hartley St to Kenny St), Portsmith
• Corner of Lily St and the Esplanade, Cairns North
• Sections of the Cairns Esplanade from Spence St to Florence St (near the RSL)

Residents should also monitor the Bureau of Meteorology website for general information related to tide heights.