One of the world's largest online pornographic content organisations is blocking access to its websites for all Australians in response to new age-check laws due to come into effect next week.

Canadian-owned adult content conglomerate Aylo, which owns sites including PornHub, RedTube, YouPorn and Tube8, is no longer accepting new account registrations and has begun blocking access for Australian users on several of its platforms.

The decision comes in response to the second phase of Australia's social media ban for under-16s.

READ MORE: Tropical lows put NT on major flood alert, Queenslanders in line for three-day drenching

The eSafety Commissioner's age-restricted material code will require adult content platforms to bolster age-verification measures, in order to prevent children from being exposed to age-inappropriate content online.

The legally enforceable code, due to come into effect on Monday, will require adult sites to implement facial age estimation, digital wallets and photo ID to ensure Australian children aren't being harmed by pornographic material.

Non-compliant platforms could face penalties of up to $49.5 million per breach.

In a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald, an Aylo spokesman said that from March 9, Australian users will be "presented with a safe for work experience when they view our platforms."

The spokesman argued Australia's approach "does not effectively protect minors, and instead creates harms relating to data privacy and exposure to illegal content on non-compliant platforms".

Instead, Aylo suggested age checks would be more effective if they were required by operators such as Apple, Google and Microsoft, rather than individual sites.

Under the laws, search engines like Google will have to blur explicit search results by default unless an adult is logged into their account.

Research by the eSafety Commission found that one in three children aged 10 to 17 has seen sexual images or videos online.

More than 70 per cent were found to have seen or heard violent content or self-harm material portraying suicide and disordered eating.

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eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant warned children's emotional and psychological development and well-being are "at stake".

"We don't allow children to walk into bars or bottle shops, adult stores or casinos, but when it comes to online spaces where they are spending a lot of their time, there are no such safeguards," she said.

"Under these codes, if a young person searches the internet for suicide or self-harm content, the first result they see will be a helpline – not a harmful online rabbit hole.

"These obligations will help prevent exposure to potentially harmful content and direct at-risk children to real, lifesaving support."

Australia's age-restricted material codes follow in the footsteps of similar legislation in the UK, where "highly effective" age checks have been in place since July last year.

Just two weeks ago, a non-compliant pornographic site was fined GBP£1.35m ($2.6 million) by communications watchdog OfCom for failing to implement age checks.

The new rules represent the second phase of Australia's push to protect children online, following the under-16 social media ban that took effect in December.

The age-restricted material code also extends to search engines, social media platforms, pornography websites, app stores, gaming providers, and generative AI systems – including companion chatbots, in the hopes of reducing harm from high-impact violence, self-harm and disordered eating content.

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A 31-year old man allegedly stabbed a two people at a home on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane.

The man, from Minyama, allegedly stabbed two men at a home in Orchid Place in Bokarina.

A 38-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening head wounds and was rushed to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition after the alleged attack at 8.15pm.

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The 42-year-old man suffered hand injuries and was taken to the same hospital where he is also stable.

Earlier the same man allegedly carjacked an ATV being driven by a 32-year-old woman.

He told her to drive, before he got out.

He then allegedly went to a property on Peacock Crescent and threatened people with a weapon before stealing alcohol.

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He has been charged with 13 offences, including seven counts of threatening violence – discharge firearms or other acts, two counts of enter dwelling and commit and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.

He is expected to appear in Caboolture Magistrates Court today.

South-east Queensland is in line for three days of drenching and Katherine in the Northern Territory is facing a flood disaster as twin tropical lows that saturated the country's north continues to dump torrential rain.

Far North Queensland was lashed by 300mm of rain in a single day yesterday as the slow-moving trough travelled across the state.

The Daintree region was hit with a deluge of 300 to 400mm of rain in just 24 hours, including more than 200 mm in six hours.

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There is some reprieve for residents in northern areas like Cairns and Townsville, where most of the rain has passed and a severe weather warning has been cancelled.

The tropical low is trending toward Capricornia and Wide Bay and adjacent interior today, before moving into South East Queensland tomorrow.

The Bureau of Meteorology warning of "significant widespread flooding" over the next few days, with places like the Sunshine Coast expected to be lashed with 200 mm rain in the next 72 hours.

Heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding is likely in Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Gladstone.

Gladstone was already battered by almost 130mm in six hours overnight.

"We are going to see the moisture associated with the remnants of this tropical low get spread across broad parts of eastern, central and the northern interior of Queensland," senior meteorologist Harry Clark said.

Brisbane is forecast to receive between 10 to 20mm of rain today, 15 to 70mm tomorrow and between 10 and 60mm on Monday.

A severe weather warning is in place for heavy rainfall in the Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders and North West districts.

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Locations such as Georgetown, Hughenden, Richmond, Croydon, Gregory Springs and Forsayth could see six-hourly rainfall totals between 70 and 100 mm, with isolated totals up to 130 mm possible.

A flood watch is in place for most of Queensland, with major riverine flood warnings earmarked for the Flinders River, Thomson River and Coopers Creek, and Georgina River and Eyre Creek.

The torrential downpour saw the Daintree River swell to 13 metres on Thursday night, causing the local ferry in the Douglas Shire near Port Douglas to tear off its moorings.

"Our ferry came off its moorings and collided with another boat and pontoon," Douglas Shire Council Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said.

"At the moment we're waiting for the river to become safe so crews can go in and assess the damage.

"It's a big shock to our community because that's the only form access they have to Mossman and Port Douglas."

Major flooding inundates Katherine

Meanwhile, Katherine in the Northern Territory is facing its worst flood disaster in decades.

The Katherine River has already surpassed flood levels seen in 2000 at Katherine Bridge, where heights of 18.37 metres have been recorded.

That could surge as high as 19.20 metres by this evening, the Bureau has warned.

In nearby Nitmiluk, the river has flooded above the April 2006 flood level of 9.5m and rapidly rising.

A major flood warning is in place for the outback town, 300km south of Darwin, as well as nearby Nitmiluk, as the Katherine River rises rapidly.

Further rainfall is expected today, which may cause the river to swell even more.

A severe weather warning for the western Top End has been cancelled after heavy rainfall eased.

Parts of Arnhem Land were hit by between 100 to 155mm of rain in just six hours overnight.

Major flooding is expected along the Daly River from this afternoon.

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Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.

The people, who were not authorised to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that the U.S. intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information.

Still, it's the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war that the U.S. and Israel launched on Iran a week ago.

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Russia is in the rare club of countries that maintains friendly relations with Tehran, which has faced years of isolation over its nuclear program and its support of proxy groups that have wreaked havoc in the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.

The White House downplayed reports that Russia was sharing intelligence with Iran about U.S. targets in the region.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt today told reporters that “it clearly is not making any difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them.”

Leavitt declined to say if Trump had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the reported intelligence sharing or whether he believed Russia should face repercussions, saying she would let the president speak to that himself.

Asked whether Russia would go beyond political support and offer military assistance to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there has been no such request from Tehran.

“We are in dialogue with the Iranian side, with representatives of the Iranian leadership, and will certainly continue this dialogue,” he said.

Pushed on whether Moscow has provided any military or intelligence assistance to Tehran since the Iran war’s start, he refrained from comment.

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Russia has tightened its relationship with Iran as it looked for badly needed missiles and drones to utilise in its four-year war Ukraine.

The Biden administration declassified intelligence findings that showed Iran supplies Moscow with attack drones and has assisted the Kremlin with building a drone-manufacturing factory.

The former U.S. administration also accused Iran of transferring short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Details about the U.S. intelligence were first reported by the Washington Post.

Asked whether the revelation had shaken Trump’s faith in Putin’s ability to cut any peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war, Leavitt said, “I think the president would say that peace is still an achievable objective with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war."

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Tony Briffa said she has gone through "hell" after an unnecessary medical procedure led to decades of consequences. 

Born with lumps in a Victorian hospital, doctors confirmed she had an intersex variation called Androgen Insensitivity – a rare condition that prevents the body from responding to the male hormones.

She had a female body, but had internal testes rather than ovaries.

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Misinformation and pressure from doctors meant Briffa spent her early years undergoing surgeries and examinations.

She had her healthy testes removed at just seven and was put on hormone therapy at 11 – which she still has to take to this day or risk bone density issues.

"Every three months, I'd basically be lying on the examination table, naked legs wide open, and having all these medical students or whatever, looking at me," she told 9news.com.au.

"None of this was because it was medically required.

"Had they not removed my testes, I would have gone through a normal feminising puberty anyway, because with Androgen Insensitivity, my body would automatically convert testosterone into estrogen."

That one surgery led to years of gender confusion, low self-esteem, body image issues and relationship problems that persisted until she was in her mid-40s.

"I wanted to be normal. I didn't want to have to be so different and have to hide who I am and what I am. I just felt like I was such a freak," she said.

"I spent some years living as a male, not very successfully, but I did.

"It affected relationships. One of the things about relationships is people – straight or gay or lesbian or whatever – all that's predicated on someone's sex, so when your sex is up in the air, that does make relationships challenging."

When Briffa was engaged to be married in 2013, she discovered her birth certificate listed her gender as "indeterminate".

Under Australia's marriage laws at the time, she could not marry her partner in Australia unless she identified as a man so the pair were forced to visit New Zealand

Despite decades of hurdles, Briffa was resilient.

Now 55, she has found self-acceptance, is happily married, and has adopted her son.

She served two terms as mayor of Hobsons Bay City Council, one as a woman and one as a man, as well as three terms as deputy mayor.

She also served in the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police and as chair or member of several LGBTQI+ and intersex organisations. 

Briffa said she never believed she would have the remarkable life she has today.

"I was not sick, I wasn't deformed, I didn't have an abnormality, and I would have had a much better life had doctors in society just treated it that way," she said. 

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Most states and territories behind on major reforms

Briffa's story is not a unique one. Many intersex Australians have been subjected to unnecessary and defereable surgeries at birth – before they could consent. 

About 63,300 Australians, or 0.3 per cent of those aged over 16, have reported being intersex, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' latest LGBTQI+ estimates and characteristics report in 2024.

Intersex is an umbrella term for anyone who has natural variations in their reproductive or sexual anatomy that do not exclusively fit the male or female definition. 

There are at least 40 known variations that occur in an estimated two per cent of all births.

Victoria last month became the first major state to pass landmark reforms for intersex people.

The rules restrict any permanent or hard-to-reverse medical treatments that alter sex characteristics in children, only approve treatment if the person faces significant physical or psychological harm, provide clearer options and information to families and create an independent expert panel that oversees medical treatment plans.

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They do not apply to any urgent and medically necessary care.

Briffa was in the gallery of Victorian parliament when it passed the laws and became emotional just speaking about it.

"I've been working on these changes for 26 years," she said. 

"I never allowed myself to think about it passing. I think about all the people, the families that I've supported over the years, including people that are not still with us, and this is for them.

"This is going to be remarkable for kids, and I hope that other jurisdictions around Australia will follow suit."

It follows similar legislation in the ACT.

The territory was the first in the country to protect intersex people from deferrable surgeries until they can consent.

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The broadening Iran war has ricocheted across the region and beyond, with nearly every country in the Middle East sustaining damage from missile hits, drone strikes or shrapnel.

Many are reporting casualties, and key embassies, economic engines and passageways have closed down.

On Thursday, with the conflict's footprint growing, Azerbaijan accused Iran of carrying out a drone attack against it. Iran denied that, as its retaliatory attacks on Israel, other countries and American military bases continued.

READ MORE: US warns the bombardment will 'surge dramatically'

Since the war started with a joint US-Israel attack on Iran on Saturday, foreign governments have urged citizens to leave Middle East countries on any available commercial flight.

Airspaces have closed, cruise ships have been unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and major airlines have cancelled flights.

The US State Department says it has evacuated nonemergency personnel and families in six nations. It has advised citizens from more than a dozen countries to leave.

Governments from Russia to Germany and India also scrambled to run repatriation flights.

Here's a country-by-country breakdown of the impact of the war so far.

All airspace information is for commercial flights, from the real-time flight-tracking service Flightradar 24, as of Thursday, or national authorities.

Iran

Death toll: At least 1230 according to Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. It is unknown how many are civilians.

Major casualty incidents: More than 160 were killed by a strike on an elementary school in Minab, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Israel says it was not involved in the incident. When asked by reporters about it, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he did not have details but that the US would not deliberately target a school.

Damage and impact: State TV and the Red Crescent Society of Iran say the US-Israeli strikes have hit hospitals, pharmacies, schools, police stations, gyms, missile launchers, government buildings in Tehran and leadership compounds. Israel says it is also targeting nuclear infrastructure. Reports on state TV quote Iranians saying their homes have been damaged. The Red Crescent Society says the strikes have hit 174 cities in the country. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials have been killed.

Airspace: Closed.

Israel and the Palestinian territories

Death toll: Eleven civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities. That includes three siblings, ages 16, 15, 13; a Filipina caretaker killed while escorting the woman in her charge to a shelter; and a mother of three who was a volunteer medic.

Major casualty incidents: A strike in Beit Shemesh left nine dead.

Damage and impact: Several locations – among them a synagogue and public shelter in Beit Shemesh, an apartment building in Tel Aviv, a road in Jerusalem – have been hit by Iranian missiles. Israeli police also say an Iranian warhead landed close to Jerusalem's Old City, close to many holy sites. The extent of damage to Israeli military bases and other sensitive locations is unknown; the military does not reveal that information.

Airspace: Closed.

Lebanon

Death toll: One hundred and two people have been killed and 638 wounded, Lebanon's Health Ministry said on Tuesday evening. Officials with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group were also killed. Hezbollah has not confirmed anyone killed in their ranks in this conflict, though Israel says it has struck only Hezbollah-linked targets.

Major casualty incidents: Israeli airstrikes killed six people in a residential complex in Baalbeck, state-run media reported. Others hit the towns of Aramoun and Saadiyat, killing six and wounding eight.

Damage and impact: On Wednesday, Israel warned residents of large parts of southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate for their lives. Nearly 84,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese social affairs minister Tuesday.

Israel says it is targeting "Hezbollah command centres and weapons storage facilities," and it sent ground troops into southern Lebanon border areas. Hezbollah in response has launched drones toward Israel.

UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon say they have seen and heard clashes, including ground combat, in southern Lebanon as more Israeli forces have moved across the border.

Anxieties have been running high over a build up of Syrian forces on the border.

Airspace: Lebanon's airspace is not fully closed. Flights are coming and going, but many airlines have cancelled flights.

Kuwait

Casualties: At least 10 people have died in Kuwait. Health authorities announced the deaths of two civilians — one migrant worker killed in a strike that injured 32 others and an 11-year-old girl killed after shrapnel fell in a residential area in Kuwait City. And on Thursday, US Secretary of State Rubio expressed condolences for the deaths of at least two Kuwaiti troops killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes.

Major casualty incidents: Six American soldiers were killed at an operations center located at a civilian port in Kuwait, more than 16 kilometres from the main Army base, according to satellite images and a US official.

Damage and impact: On Monday, the US Embassy compound in Kuwait was struck. On Thursday, the embassy closed – fully shutting down operations, the second such move in the Middle East and South Asia since the war with Iran began. A satellite image taken Monday and reviewed by AP shows the main building in the complex destroyed, with a trail of black smoke rising from it. It's in Port Shuaiba, a working seaport south of Kuwait City.

Missiles were shot toward Kuwait on Thursday evening, activating air defence systems, the army general chief of staff said in a statement.

Airspace: Closed

United Arab Emirates

Casualties: Three civilians have been killed in the UAE, foreign workers from Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the country reported. At least 68 people have been injured.

Damage and impact: The United Arab Emirates' Defence Ministry said on Thursday that one ballistic missile and six drones hit the country's territory. The ministry also said it repelled six missiles and 131 drones on Thursday, and hundreds since the start of the war. Earlier this week, shrapnel from the interception of cruise missiles killed three residents, and falling shrapnel in past days has wounded 94, it said.

An Iranian drone slammed into a parking lot outside the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday, sparking a small fire, according to US Secretary of State Rubio.

The city of Dubai, with a global reputation as the safest place in the Middle East and a hub for global investment, has sustained damage to its international airport and, according to CENTCOM, hotels along its coastline. Iran also targeted two Amazon data centres in the UAE, the company said on Tuesday.

Airspace: Closed.

Bahrain

Casualties: One civilian, an Asian worker, was killed by a fire set by a strike on Monday, according to Bahrain's Interior Ministry. Two others were wounded.

Damage and impact: Bahrain said a fire was started on Thursday night by an Iranian missile that hit a state-run oil refinery in Maameer, south of the capital. It said the fire was extinguished without injuries and the refinery was still working.

Its defence ministry said on Thursday it had intercepted 75 Iranian ballistic missiles, destroying 65 while 10 fell inside its territory. It also reported intercepting 124 drones, downing 88.

Amazon said on Tuesday there was a drone impact near one of its data centres.

Airspace: Closed.

Syria

Damage and casualties: Several people, including children, suffered minor injuries in the countryside outside Damascus from Iranian missile debris, Syria's state news agency SANA said. Some areas in Syria's southern provinces also saw missile debris fall from Iranian projectiles fired toward Israel, with no additional injuries or material damage reported, SANA said.

Airspace: Closed.

Iraq

Casualties: Strikes on Iranian proxy sites by the US or Israel have killed militia members, though it's not clear how many.

Damage and impact: A security official with Iraq's navy said an oil tanker flying the Bahamas flag was hit by an explosion on Thursday while docked near Khor al-Zubair port in southern Iraq. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly.

It comes after a wave of drone and missile attacks intercepted over Irbil on Tuesday, the capital of northern Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region. Multiple drones targeted areas around the US consulate building but did not hit it directly. Debris from the intercepted drones caused fires and property damage.

Iran-linked Iraqi militias have also claimed multiple attacks on the Kurdish region, which hosts bases with US troops.

Protesters also attempted to storm the US Embassy in Baghdad on Sunday.

Iraq's Ministry of Oil said Tuesday that it would stop production in a key oil field because of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, causing crude oil prices to surge worldwide.

Airspace: Closed.

Jordan

Damage and impact: Jordanian police announced on Sunday that five people were injured by falling shrapnel after Iranian projectiles were intercepted in the kingdom's airspace.

Airspace: Open, but many airlines have cancelled flights.

Saudi Arabia

Damage and impact: Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry said early on Wednesday that forces have intercepted and destroyed nine drones over the country since the war began. It came a day after Iran struck the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh with two drones, causing "limited fire" and minor damage, according to Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry. The embassy has urged Americans to avoid the compound.

Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura oil refinery also came under attack from drones, but its defences downed the aircraft, a military spokesman told the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The refinery has a capacity of over half a million barrels of crude oil a day.

Airspace: Partially closed in the area bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf.

Egypt

Damage and impact: The ripple effects of the war have hit Egypt's struggling economy, as global shipping firms decided to reroute vessel fleets away from the Suez Canal. The canal, which connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas, is a major source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped country.

Airspace: Commercial flights are leaving the country, though there have been cancellations, and most countries are recommending residents travel through Taba and Sharm al-Sheikh instead of Cairo.

Qatar

Damage and impact: Qatar's Ministry of Defence said on Thursday that 14 ballistic missiles and four drones were fired at the country. It said air defences intercepted all the drones and 13 of the missiles, while the 14th fell in the sea. On Wednesday, it said Iran launched two ballistic missiles against it, with one hitting Al-Udeid Qatari Base, though it didn't cause casualties.

Airspace: Closed.

Oman

Casualties: An Indian mariner was killed off the coast of Muscat, the sultanate's capital, on Monday, when a bomb-carrying drone boat exploded against a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker. Four more mariners were injured on Sunday when their oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz came under attack, the state-run Oman News Agency said. It's not clear who launched either attack, but Iran has been threatening vessels approaching the Strait.

Damage and impact: Oman, long an intermediary between the West and Iran, has repeatedly come under attack by Iran. A vessel was hit by a projectile early on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates, according to an agency of the UK military. There were no reported casualties. Drone attacks have also targeted the country's largest port of Salalah, as well as Duqm port.

Airspace: Open, but many commercial flights are cancelled. Muscat airport has become a base for evacuation flights.

Cyprus

Damage and impact: A Shahed drone damaged a hangar at a British air base on Cyprus' southern coastline. Cyprus says the drone was launched from Beirut.

Turkey

Damage and impact: NATO defence systems have intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran as it headed toward Turkey's airspace, the country's defence ministry said. A ministry statement said the missile was detected after crossing the Iraqi and Syrian airspace and was intercepted by NATO units stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.

Debris from the missile fell into a district of Hatay province, near the border with Syria. There were no casualties.

Airspace: Open

Sri Lanka

Damage and impact: A US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean outside Sri Lanka's territorial waters on Wednesday. Sri Lankan officials say 87 bodies were recovered and 32 people rescued, with roughly 180 people believed to have been aboard the IRIS Dena.

On Thursday, the country said another Iranian ship arrived in its waters, with authorities informed that one of its engines suffered a failure and rescuers evacuating 200 sailors.

Airspace: Open

Azerbaijan

Damage and impact: The country said on Thursday that Iranian drones had attacked its exclave of Nakhchivan, injuring four civilians and damaging an airport building. Iran denied launching the drone. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev called it "a groundless act of terror and aggression" and said the military had been instructed "to prepare and implement retaliatory measures."

Airspace: Southern sector closed

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A day of co-ordinated raids on criminal operation across Australia and New Zealand saw police seize drugs, cash and weapons.

Taskforce Morpheus carried out the raids on outlawed motorcycle gangs across every state at the same time yesterday.

The taskforce was made up of local and federal police, Australian Border Force and the Criminal Intelligence Commission, taking down alleged members of outlaw motorcycle gangs.

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This time they swarmed on the Comancheros.

Search warrants were executed at 51 undisclosed locations across the nation, with officers uncovering a suite of machetes, knuckle dusters, bullets and illicit substances.

"We do know it's taken drugs off the street and firearms off the streets and sending them a clear message," WA Police Detective Acting Inspector Sean Wright said.

Police made 56 arrests and laid 168 charges in total.

"Anything associated with outlaw gangs was targeted – their homes, their club houses, the motor vehicles they drive," Wright added.

The work of Taskforce Morpheus is 24/7, gathering intelligence on organised crime groups like the Comancheros to disrupt and dismantle their networks.

"Tomorrow it could be you, next week it could be you, everyday we'll be targeting one of you," Wright said.

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Twin tropical lows are dumping heavy rainfall across large parts of northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, with Katherine facing its worst flood disaster in decades.

A major flood warning is in place for the outback town, 300km south of Darwin, as well as nearby Nitmiluk, as the Katherine River rises rapidly.

It reached the moderate flood level of 16.75 metres earlier today and is expected to reach the major flood level of 17.5m, near March 2000 flood levels, this afternoon, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

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Katherine Hospital has been evacuated, with all patients being transferred to hospitals in Darwin due to flooding in the area.

"Further rainfall is expected during Friday, which may cause higher river level rises," the bureau warned.

The system is expected to move further west and a major flood warning is also in place for the Daly River with more general warnings for much of the Top End towards the Western Australian border.

Another tropical low sitting offshore from Cairns is due to cross the Queensland coast this afternoon and has already dumped more than 400mm on the Daintree River and 200mm on Cooktown.

Millions are prepared for a wet weekend as the system, while now unlikely to become a tropical cyclone, is expected to bring heavy rain as it tracks inland and south, reaching Brisbane and the south-east coast by Sunday.

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"Once the low crosses the coast today, it will move further towards the west and gradually turn and move towards the south over the weekend, but as it does, it'll also start to draw in a lot of tropical moisture, and that's with the surface trough which is lying over inland eastern parts of Queensland," Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathon How said.

"This will bring increased showers and rain to most northern, central and eastern districts."

River catchments across northern Queensland are saturated and further flood warnings could be issued, he warned.

The bureau has issued a warning for heavy to locally intense rainfall that extends from north of Tully, north towards North Cook down to Cape Melville and inland, taking in Cairns, Port Douglas, Daintree, Cooktown, and the Atherton Tablelands.

That area is being warned of six-hourly rainfall totals between 80 and 240mm and 24-hour totals of 300mm.

The rain is expected to spread south to Townsville and then Mackay, before hitting the Wide Bay and Darling Downs tomorrow as well as Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast by Sunday.

"On Saturday, we'll see a few showers, but they will mostly build towards the late evening and Sunday will be the wettest day across southeast Queensland," How said.

"There is increasing confidence that we could see moderate rainfall totals in the range of 50 to 100 across south-east Queensland, including Brisbane on the Sunday, and we could also see higher isolated falls."

Brisbane can also expect slightly cooler temperatures with a top of 26 degrees over the weekend.

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Vehicles are being turned around and drivers urged to delay travel.

The federal government said it is "really disappointing" that repatriation flights from Dubai to Australia are sitting half empty, as thousands of stranded citizens wait desperately for their ticket out of the Middle Eastern warzone.

Several planeloads carrying hundreds of passengers on Etihad and Emirates flights have now safely returned to Melbourne and Sydney since fighting began.

Emotional reunions unfolded at arrival gates as relieved and weary travellers touched down on Australian soil, however some passengers have now claimed the "ghost flights" had plenty of free seats.

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Around 270 people were on board an Emirates flight arriving in Melbourne at 6am today, which is half the plane's usual capacity.

An Etihad flight with spare seats from Abu Dhabi also touched down in Sydney yesterday about 9.30am.

Passengers reported seeing row after row of spare seats as they boarded the relief flight, despite Wong's assurance that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was working with commercial carriers to bring Australians home.

There are around 24,000 Australians still in the UAE.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government would work with carriers to ensure "every seat [is] filled".

"That is really disappointing and I'm disappointed with that," Wong told reporters today.

"So we are seeking to work even more closely with the airlines to try and coordinate that.

"We know that people are very stressed – can I assure you we are working as hard as we can around the clock, including with the airlines and the governments to try and get people home as quickly as possible."

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A spokesperson for Emirates declined to comment on passenger numbers but said around 100 flights were scheduled to depart and return to Dubai today and yesterday.

"Emirates will continue to gradually build back its flying schedule, subject to airspace availability and all operational requirements being met," the spokesperson said.

"Safety is always our top priority."

Nine.com.au has contacted Etihad Airlines for comment.

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