Australia news live: chaos in the rain at Splendour in the Grass; abortion access on women’s meeting agenda

Beaches are closed and there have been multiple reports of cars in floodwater as a powerful offshore weather system moves south along Australia’s east coast, AAP reports.

Emergency crews responded to two separate incidents when drivers found themselves in trouble on roads about three hours north west of Brisbane.

A woman was assessed at the scene and didn’t need to be taken to hospital after an incident on the Bunya Highway near Kingaroy early this morning.

Two people in their 50s also avoided injury when a car entered floodwater on Kumbia Road in Brooklands.

Rainfall totals of more than 100mm have been reported in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, with the town of Maleny among the hardest hit.

Damaging winds averaging around 50 kilometres per hour are possible in exposed parts of the coast, and peak gusts may reach 110km/h on Fraser Island, also known as K’gari.

There is also a minor flood warning in place for the Stanley River at Woodford, about an hour north of Brisbane.

The low-pressure weather system is expected to move south on Friday and Saturday, and beaches have been closed on the Gold Coast because of the dangerous conditions.

Wild surf is forecast for the NSW north coast from Friday, with wave heights of more than five metres possible.

Dangerous beach conditions could affect the popular seaside towns of Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Ballina and Yamba.

The warning comes as thousands of music fans make their way to Byron Bay for the Splendour in the Grass music festival, where campers faced long queues to enter.

A message on the festival’s Facebook page said late on Thursday:

The weather and staff shortages were all worse than expected.

We are doing the best we can – the show will go on rain, hail or shine.