Four homes on the Gold Coast have been evacuated due to landslide risk while more than 100 properties are being inspected for damage in the south east, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament on Tuesday.

Palaszczuk said the “rain bomb” would continue for at least another day, and emergency services had already responded to 840 calls for help.

“If you do not have to be on the roads please stay off them, we will continue to keep Queenslanders informed and safe,” she said.

At least 18 schools are closed in the region, mainly because of cut roads.

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of possible flash flooding in Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Warwick, Stanthorpe, Kingaroy, Dalby, Goondiwindi, Roma, Charleville and St George.

It says six hour rainfall totals of between 100mm and 150mm are likely to hit those areas.

“The situation is likely to pose a serious risk to areas recently affected by heavy rainfall, including the risk of landslips in steep terrain; in these areas the situation may become life-threatening,” the BOM said in an alert on Tuesday.

A flood watch has been issued for the vast areas of southern Queensland between the South Australian border and the east coast.

The weather bureau reports that another 10mm to 65mm has been recorded on or around the Gold Coast and hinterland since 9am on Tuesday.

This is on top of totals of up to 240 mm have been recorded in the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday.

“River level rises continue across the catchment area with higher levels are likely with forecast rainfall,” it said.

The upper Logan river is in major flood at Beaudesert, Rathdowney and Round Mountain with the river expected to reman above major flood leave as heavy rain continues into Tuesday night.

Further downstream, at Maclean Bridge, the bureau warns the river will be in moderate flood and may hit major flood levels by Wednesday morning.

The Albert River at Wolffdene is expected to exceed moderate flood level over the nextfew hours.

The bureau is also warning of possible major flooding along the Bremer River and Warrill Creek, while the Lockyer and Laidley Creeks are already in major flood.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council is warning residents of Forest Hill to move their vehicles to higher ground and prepare their yards for possible flooding.

The Nerang and Coomera rivers on the Gold Coast have burst their banks, and there’s a flood warning for Maroochy and Mooloolah rivers on the Sunshine Coast.

Minor flood warnings have also been issued for the Albert and Logan rivers, south of Brisbane, and a number of rivers in the Maranoa and Warrego districts in the state’s southwest.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services coordinator Brian Cox urged people not to leave their homes and if they do to take extreme caution.

“Be really vigilant, I mean the first thing is don’t go out today, don’t,” he told 4BC Radio.

“But if you do, please drive by the road conditions, look out for pedestrians, cyclists. We’re asking people to be really really cautious.

“It will not take much with the current rainfall they’ve already experienced, and the saturation levels we’ve currently got across southeast Queensland, for any minor storm to hit, to raise those flood levels and water levels across roads and as you know that can be quite dangerous.”

People living on two streets in the Gold Coast suburb of Wongawallen were evacuated on Monday amid fears of a landslide.

Floodwaters had gouged out the foundations of at least one home, leaving it precariously perched atop a slope.

Seqwater has started to release more water from the Enoggera, Gold Creek, Hinze, Lake Macdonald, Leslie Harrison, Little Nerang, Sideling Creek and Wappa dams.

The company said the Nindooinbah and Poona dams were also overflowing.