Criminals have taken advantage of evacuation orders in areas of Far North Queensland rocked by the death of two people, leaving police “disgusted”.

Deadly floodwaters triggered by record rainfall in Australia’s northeast rose for a third day Monday as authorities warned flood-stricken communities to brace themselves for further destruction.

Record-breaking floods across north Queensland have now turned deadly, with one woman drowning while being rescued on Sunday morning. And the floodwaters are still rising, with rain set to continue.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the weather system causing flooding in north Queensland will gradually start to ease from Tuesday, but authorities warn intense rainfall and dangerous flooding will continue.

The atmospheric factors behind north Queensland's deadly floods are very similar to recent floods in the region — and climate change is likely playing a role.

Storms have already dumped more than a metre of rain in two days in parts of Queensland, engulfing homes, businesses and roads in muddy waters, authorities said. Aerial footage showed rural communities surrounded by the floodwaters,

Authorities are warning deadly flooding in northern Queensland is expected to worsen. More than a metre of rain has fallen between Townsville and Innisfail in the past five days due to a slow-moving monsoon trough.