Flooding in Australia's third-largest city could be worse than the 1974 disaster when 6,700 houses in Brisbane and neighbouring Ipswich had more than 50 centimetres of water through them, Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said Tuesday, DPA reported.
The Brisbane River was expected to go beyond the 5.45-metre mark set in January 1974.
"By midnight [Tuesday], river levels at Ipswich will reach the 18- to 19-metre mark, peaking some time during Wednesday at around 21 to 22 metres," she said. "By comparison, the 1974 peak was 20.6 metres, so in both Ipswich and Brisbane, we are anticipating flood levels across the areas of '74 levels and above."
Half of Queensland - an area the size of France and Germany combined - is under water after weeks of rain. Floodwaters have been working their way south and have now reached Brisbane and its environs.
"Ipswich and Brisbane are now facing their greatest threat and toughest test in more than 35 years," she said.