The Bureau of Meteorology has said it expected showers and thunderstorms to increase in the tropical north coast from Thursday until Monday.

“The heaviest falls will depend on the position of the trough, with daily rainfall of 50mm to 150mm likely, and 24-hour totals of 200m to 300mm plus are possible in some areas, most likely during Thursday and Friday,” BOM meteorologist Helen Kirkup said.

She said parts of the tropical east coast, especially the Cassowary Coast, could receive a metre of rainfall over the coming days.

North Queensland has had a mild wet season so far, which means catchments in the region are dry, so there is not expected to be widespread flash flooding with the heavy rain.

Meanwhile, the record breaking rainfall that has pummelled southeast Queensland since October has had at least one silver lining – the revocation of drought declarations in 11 local government areas in the region.

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said drought status had been revoked in the Bundaberg, Cherbourg, Fraser Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs and Toowoomba council areas.

“It’s ironic when you think about the flooding up in this region here just recently, to be still in a position where the state is … 61.1 (per cent) drought declared,” Furner said from Toowoomba on Thursday.

As areas around Brisbane continue to recover after floods hit large swaths of the southeast, much of the state’s central west, including Longreach, Quilpie and Winton remain in drought.

“It gives you an idea of the size of the state … whether it be in mulga country out in the west or in eastern southern areas like we are today here in Toowoomba,” Mr Furner said.

The announcement is particularly significant for the Southern Downs, where Stanthorpe and smaller towns had to rely on trucked-in water at the height of the recent drought.

Furner said local drought committees had assessed the response to the rain and flooding events over the past few months and noted a big improvement in conditions across the state’s south east.

“While we acknowledge that some producers have suffered significant damage from the severe rain and flood events, the positive is that natural water courses and stock and irrigation water storages have been replenished, along with excellent pasture growth that will see us through to the next wet season,” he said.