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Laine Clark

Relief for flood-weary regions as eroded beaches reopen

The Gold Coast is on track to have at least 80 per cent of its beaches reopened by Easter. (JASON O’BRIEN/AAP PHOTOS)

Another tropical cyclone could form off northern Australia but a flood-ravaged region can breathe easy - for now.

Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to lash central and northern Australia in coming days, triggering flash flooding.

Central Australia could endure its "most significant rainfall so far this year", the Bureau of Meteorology warned.

People in the NT up to the Top End and across to Western Australia's Kimberley region have been urged to monitor warnings as a monsoon trough looms.

Another cyclone could form near WA at the weekend, with the bureau monitoring a tropical low off the Kimberley coast.

"At this stage it poses no threat to the Australian mainland nor offshore communities," the bureau's Jonathan How said.

If it forms, it will be called Tropical Cyclone Courtney or Dianne, depending on the status of another system near the Cocos Islands.

It would reportedly mark the ninth cyclone of the season - the highest number in three years.

However, a region recovering from an ex-cyclone can look forward to some respite from wild weather, albeit briefly.

Heavy rain has lashed north Queensland for days barely a month after floodwaters claimed two lives and left 30,000 people without power.

Gold Coast beach erosion
The Gold Coast is still recovering from damage caused by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred. (JASON O’BRIEN/AAP PHOTOS)

The deluge triggered flood warnings across the northeast tropical coast as the state's southeast recovered from ex-tropical cyclone Alfred's destructive arrival earlier in March.

But relief is in sight with floodwaters receding and showers becoming more patchy across the north on Friday.

"The good news is that around the north tropical coast and northeast areas, we will probably see a bit less rainfall into the weekend," the bureau's Daniel Hayes told AAP.

Moderate rain has been forecast but heavy falls are set to return early next week.

"So the reprieve is relatively brief," Mr Hayes said.

"The immediate situation is improving but if we do see heavy falls return next week it is likely we'll see those rivers ... impacted fairly quickly because the catchments are saturated."

Flooding is seen in Ingham in North Queensland
Ingham was hard-hit by deadly flooding in February after the Herbert River broke its banks. (Adam Head/AAP PHOTOS)

The Herbert River had been the biggest flooding concern in the north this week, breaking its banks at Cordelia near Ingham.

It inundated roads including main arterial the Bruce Highway, marking the third time since February the region had been cut off by flooding.

Ingham was among the worst-hit by February floods that killed two people, damaged roads and shut down power for days after the nearby Herbert River broke a 1967 record level.

The ex-tropical cyclone Alfred recovery effort is gaining momentum in the southeast.

The Gold Coast is on track to have at least 80 per cent of its beaches reopened by the Easter holidays after the system caused widespread coastal erosion. 

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