Several dead including young girl in drain after severe weather

The girl, identified as Mia Holland-McCormack from Rochedale South, was found deceased after an extensive search.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Mia's family.

Mia, who had severe autism, has been remembered as a girl "who loved adventures and getting up to mischief".

On the evening of December 26, 2023, Mia took off over the back fence at home, just before a storm hit.

She was found unresponsive a few kilometres from home.

Other fatalities included a Queensland woman in her 50s who died after being struck by a tree at Helensvale on the Gold Coast.

Before 5:30pm on Boxing Day, police received reports a large boat had overturned just south of Green Island, with 11 people on board.

A search and rescue operation was launched, involving the water police vessels, police divers, Volunteer Marine Rescue and Coast Guard.

Eight people were retrieved from the water and transported to Manly Harbour with non-life-threatening injuries.

At approximately 6.15pm, officers located one person deceased in the water within the search area.

Police commissioner Katarina Carroll said the deaths and several others had occurred during a period of "extraordinarily difficult weather" and urged people in affected regions to listen to authorities and stay out of dangerous areas.

"It has been a very tragic 24 hours due to the weather," she said.

Two deceased women have been recovered from the Mary River in Gympie.

The women were in a group of three who swept into the water by the Kidd Bridge. One 46-year-old managed to get to safety.

The Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the families of those who died and thanked emergency staff for their services.

The Bureau of Meteorology said further severe thunderstorms were possible on December 27 around central and northern parts of the Queensland coast and potentially reaching south to Brisbane.

with Australian Associated Press