Day one of Splendour In The Grass has been cancelled after extreme weather hit the New South Wales town of Byron Bay.

Organisers of Splendour have been forced to backflip on a notification sent to users about 11am saying the show would go on "rain, hail or shine" after the worst weather in the festival's 20-year history struck.

Some festival attendees have expressed their disappointment in the cancellation, with one music lover describing the move as "pretty disgusting".

"There's been no rain for two hours," festivalgoer Coen told 9news.com.au.

"But if the sound gear is an issue, I can understand."

READ MORE: Festival goers slam Splendour In The Grass organisers over flooding

For Maggie and her friends, who were flooded at the North Byron Parklands campsite before access was cut off, the day one cancellation is a massive blow.

"I'm so angry," she said.

"The only thing we were looking forward to and they cancelled it.

"It was the only thing keeping our spirits up."

Kiarah said "the party still goes on" but added the organisation has been "poor" this year and wants a partial refund, describing this morning's notification a "lie".

Jessica Ducrou, co-founder of the festival, reassured attendees that refunds would be given due to the cancellation.

"Don't stress, we will be refunding the proportionate amount of ticketing for missing out on a day's worth of events," she said.

She acknowledged this year's weather is the worst the festival has experienced in its 20-year history.

Festival organisers issued a statement about the decision to cancel performances on the main stages today.

"A significant weather system is currently sitting off the east coast and may reach land later today bringing more rainfall," the statement said.

"We have decided to err on the side of caution and cancel performances on the main stages today only – Amphitheatre, Mix Up, GW McLennan and Park(lands) Stages.

"Day patrons are asked not to attend the festival today while we work on repairs.

"In the coming week Moshtix will be in contact with the ticket holders affected directly, via the email address used to purchase their ticket, for further information on refunds.

"We look forward to Saturday and Sunday programming moving ahead as planned."

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After organisers posted the statement on Facebook, commenters quickly began condemning the message.

Some expressed concerns about how much money they'd spent on flights and accommodation, while others queried refunds.

Many music lovers had already arrived at the festival for the first day of the three-day event.

Festivalgoers have described the campsite and festival like the "Queensland floods" after heavy rain flooded the area and caused knee-high mud.

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Many people had bought camping tickets to stay at North Byron Parklands however this was closed and attendees were redirected to Byron Events Farm.

Headliners like the Gorillaz, DMA's, Yungblud and the Avalanches were set to perform this evening at the festival.

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As a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, a video posted by the then-president did nothing to stop the violence.

But in unseen footage released today, alternate takes of the video showed Donald Trump railing against the election results.

White House staffers had urged him to record a video encouraging his supporters to go home rather than storm the congressional building.

LIVE UPDATES: Day one of Splendour in the Grass cancelled

But Trump refused to follow the script, veering into his own grievances about the election.

"We had an election that was stolen from us," he said.

"It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it, especially the other side.

"This was a fraudulent election. But we can't play into the hands of these people."

He ended the take by telling his supporters he loved them, and that his opponents were "so bad, so evil".

Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a rare Trump critic within the Republican Party, lambasted the former president.

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"President Trump didn't fail to act. He chose not to act," Kinzinger said.

"The president didn't do very much but gleefully watch television during this time frame."

The January 6 committee also released outtakes from a speech he recorded the next day in the wake of the insurrection.

The footage shows Trump struggling to read the autocue and bristling at some of the pre-written speech.

"This election is now over. Congress has certified the results," he said, before stopping himself.

"I don't want to say the election is over," he told someone off-screen.

He also demanded various words be removed from the speech because he was stumbling over them.

"Yesterday is a hard word for me," he said.

"Take the word yesterday out."

Trump also slammed the podium he was standing behind when he read phrases he didn't like.

Democratic congresswoman Elaine Luria issued a scathing conclusion at the end of the hearing.

"President Trump did not then and does not now have the character or courage to say to the American people what his own people know to be true," Luria said.

"He is responsible for the attack on the Capitol on January 6."

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As rioters were storming the building, members of Vice President Mike Pence's security detail were so fearful they left farewell messages for their families.

A witness from the National Security Council told the committee that Pence's team "were starting to fear for their lives".

Rioters came within metres of where Pence was during the storming of the Capitol.

At the time, rioters had been filmed shouting "Hang Mike Pence". A makeshift gallows had been set up outside the Capitol building.

The committee will resume its public hearings in September.

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A man has been found dead in Queensland floodwaters following a search for a swept-away car.

Police confirmed they were called to Brown Street in Nanango, south of Kingaroy, at about 5.30am today after reports a car had entered a body of water.

At about 8.15am, it was confirmed the body of a man had been found in the same area, near Sandy Creek bridge.

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Police this afternoon said the body was believed to be that of a 47-year-old Nanango man.

Divers are still searching for the vehicle.

It comes as a severe weather system is smashing into south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, putting a 1000km stretch of coast under a hazardous surf warning and making flash flooding a distinct possibility.

An emergency alert has been issued for the South Burnett region north-west of Brisbane as flash flooding occurs.

"An Emergency Alert has been issued by South Burnett Regional Council. Flash Flooding is occurring in the South Burnett Regional Council area," Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) said.

"Council advises roads and bridges may be impacted and urges residents to stay off the roads, if possible. Remember, if it's flooded, forget it."

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The heavy rain is also wreaking havoc on the Splendour In The Grass music festival in Byron Bay, where campsites have been flooded.

Senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Christie Johnson said more flash flooding could occur after bouts of heavy rainfall were recorded overnight.

Up to 115mm has fallen since 9am yesterday at Maleny and just over 50mm in Tallebudgera.

"At this stage we're assessing the need for any warnings for river rises, but there's a lot of water on the road," Johnson said.

"We're really asking people to take care as they travel as well and, of course, never drive through floodwaters."

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Hazardous surf warnings stretch from Fraser Island in Queensland down into the Hunter Coast in NSW as an east coast low swirls offshore.

All beaches in the Gold Coast have been closed with waves of four metres recorded this morning.

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Dangerous wind warnings have also been issued for both states.

Wind gusts up to 70km/h have been recorded on the Gold Coast but the BoM warns this could reach 90km/h.

Johnson said the worst conditions will be felt today "during the overnight period and this morning".

"Look, it is going to be moving away, but probably not straight away," she said, adding heavy surf could continue into the weekend.

"This afternoon, we'll start to see the showers break up a little bit. Then tomorrow that low will start to move away across the Tasman Sea and we will see conditions easing over the course of tomorrow."

"It looks like the Queensland floods."

Festival goers at Splendour In The Grass have slammed event organisers as they are stuck in flooded campsites after day one was cancelled.

Maggie and her friends arrived on Wednesday to try and find a good camping spot, however, they were directed into a flood zone.

She told 9news.com.au organisers warned it was going to flood but told them to pitch a tent anyway.

READ MORE: Day one of Splendour In The Grass cancelled after wild weather

"When we were directed, they said it was going to flood, it was like we were the test run," she said.

"Our tents are flooded. Our cars are bogged.

"You'd think when they had the horrible weather like this in 2013, they'd change things. They're so unprepared."

Spirits remain high despite mud fest

Despite the flooding, Maggie and her friends are trying to keep their spirits high and enjoy the festival.

"We're trying to make the best of it, we're trying to keep our spirits up."

James Sark and his friends are also trying to make the most of the event despite their campsite being flooded and their cars being bogged.

"If you've paid $500 you have to strap in," he said.

"Apart from the weather, spirits are still high."

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Main campsite closed by organisers due to floods

Sark arrived at the festival yesterday and waited on the highway for seven hours before arriving at the campsite to find it flooded.

"We're some of the lucky ones. There are some tents that are underwater," he said.

Some festival-goers waited hours to get to the campsite but organisers were forced to stop access to the North Byron Parklands due to the heavy rain and flooding.

Splendour said patrons going to "Accessible, Flashcamp and Tent City" are still accepted at the original campsite.

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Kate, Jarrah, and Aliaska waited more than nine hours on the highway to get to their campsite only to be redirected to what they said is a car park, which is the alternate camp ground at Byron Events Farm at 35 Yarun Road, Tyagarah.

"We were sleeping in the car on the side of the highway," they said.

The trio has been forced to sleep in their car because the new campsite at Byron Events Farm is also flooded.

"It's completely flooded. You can't pitch a tent in a puddle," they said.

They said festival organisers seem to be "scrambling".

"It feels like they have no idea what was going on," they said.

There are free buses between Byron Events Farm and the festival at Parklands for patrons but the group said there is no communication about when the shuttle buses arrive.

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Sark added some volunteers have left the festival due to the chaos which is contributing to staff shortages and fueling the fire.

"The volunteers who are meant to do a day or two of work and then get free tickets to go to the festival, they're just quitting," he said.

"That's what is creating most of the problem."

9news.com.au has contacted the festival organisers for comment.

Council responds and says it's up to festival organisers to fix

Byron Shire Council said it's up to the organisers to "rectify" the problem, which is the flooding and mud, as council has a "limited role" in organising the festival.

"We know there have been very long traffic queues to get into the festival and this has been frustrating for people and has an impact on local residents and businesses," the council said in a statement.

"It's a very professional, well-organised event and the safety of patrons is always the key priority for the organisers.

"It has been extremely wet this year and rain in recent days has no doubt caused the organisers problems in getting vehicles onto the site which resulted in long delays.

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"Council has no doubt organisers are working as hard as they can to rectify problems."

Headliners for the festival include Gorillaz, The Strokes, and Tyler The Creator.