Up to 20,000 homes are now at risk in Brisbane, as deadly floodwater hit Australia's third-largest city, officials in the Queensland state say.

Central Brisbane is a ghost town, with electricity cut and thousands of people fleeing the rising waters.

West of Brisbane, the city of Ipswich is being swamped by flood waters in a situation described as "total chaos".

The death toll from the flash floods in Queensland is 12 so far, with dozens of others reported missing. [ BBC NEWS ]