Queensland weather: CAMEL seen on loose in Harrisville amid torrential rain and floods [Video]

A camel on the loose in south-east Queensland has had to be wrangled-in by locals as torrential rain and floods smash the region.  

The camel was spotted on Friday sprinting down a road in Harrisville, south-west of Brisbane by storm chasers tracking the state’s wild weather.

Footage showed a woman attempt to retrieve the animal, which is believed to have escaped from a nearby farm, before a group in a 4×4 pull over to assist. 

The bizarre sight comes as torrential rain and floods wreak havoc across Australia’s east coast this week.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned heavy rain will continue to lash south-eastern Queensland, including the Lockyer Valley, on Friday evening. 

‘Heavy rain is expected to continue this evening. This is a dangerous, evolving situation with life threatening flash flooding occurring,’ BoM wrote on Twitter.

The Bureau warned severe weather could lead to flash flooding in Toowoomba, Brisbane, Maroochydore, Gympie, Kingaroy, Caboolture and Ipswich. 

Queensland and New South Wales have been ravaged by wild weather this week with many communities devastated by floods.   

Police found the body of a 54-year-old man whose motorcycle was found in floodwaters after he disappeared at Cedar Pocket near Gympie, two hours north of Brisbane early on Wednesday morning.

The camel was spotted by Queensland storm chasers before more locals came in to assist (pictured)

The bizarre camel chase comes as torrential rain and floods wreaked havoc across Australia’s east coast

The area was flooded after it received over 300mm of rain in a six-hour period, with conditions described as ‘extremely horrific’ by a police spokesperson.  

The body of Philip Gary Lambert, 54, was found at about 11.30am on Thursday after his helmet and bag were spotted earlier in a tree.

Acting Inspector Paul Algie said Mr Lambert had attempted to ride his motorbike over Greens Creek at 1.30am on Wednesday after finishing work.

‘As a result of riding into floodwater he has come off his motorcycle and has been washed away,’ Insp Algie said on Thursday.

On Wednesday morning a 63-year-old Belli Park woman was found dead inside a submerged vehicle west of Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast.

NSW Police early on Friday confirmed the body of a 54-year-old man was found after his car became caught in flood waters in Matcham, on the Central Coast.

Heavy rainfall has lead to flash flooding across parts of NSW and Queensland this week (pictured, a road in Wooyung in northern NSW is closed due to flooding on Friday)

The Bureau warned severe weather could lead to flash flooding (pictured, pedestrians cross the road in the CBD in Brisbane on Friday)

Officers found the Toyota Land Cruiser at around 1.30am on Friday with the driver inside. 

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Dean Narramore says isolated rainfall totals in some areas stretching from Byron Bay in NSW up to K’Gari Island in Qld could exceed 300mm in the coming days.

‘This is a dangerous set up as very heavy rainfall falls over already saturated soils,’ Mr Narramore said on Thursday afternoon.

He warned people living near rivers or creeks their homes could be inundated and there was a risk of dangerous flash flooding.