Cape York Peninsula racetrack under water

Heavy rainfall associated with a tropical low has caused the Laura racetrack in far north Queensland to become submerged under floodwaters.

Laura, about 140 km west of Cooktown and 310 km northwest of Cairns on the Cape York Peninsula, is positioned on the Laura River, which has risen sharply due to intense monsoonal falls.

The tropical low, forecast to cross the Far North Queensland coast on Friday, has already delivered heavy rain across the region, leading the Bureau of Meteorology to issue flood watches and severe weather warnings for much of northern Queensland.

Local roads and crossings around Laura have been cut by high water, echoing flooding incidents earlier this year when vehicles were swept from river crossings during January floods on the Laura River.

The racetrack, used by the small rural community of about 130 people and local pony clubs, now lies underwater as saturated catchments continue to drain into the surrounding plains, and further rain is expected.