Level Six water retrictions delayed, whew.

THE Queensland Water Commission says heavy rainfall has enabled level six water restrictions to be put off until late November or early December.

The restrictions were due to come in as early as next month.

But it would take up to a week before the full impact on dam levels was known, the commission said today.

The announcement came after it was revealed a new rainfall record had been set at Rainbow Beach on the Sunshine Coast, near where an Indonesian sailing ship became grounded in heavy weather yesterday.

Weather bureau climate records meteorologist Claire Webb said 713mm fell there in the 24 hours to 9am today.

This was more than three times the previous total of 216mm for the whole month of August set in 1998, Ms Webb said.

"It's amazing," she said. "There certainly is some flooding up there."

At nearby Mt Bilewilam, north of Noosa, 689mm fell in the same period to 9am today and at Coops Corner, 706mm was recorded.

At Tewantin, near Noosa, 310mm fell to 9am today, more than four times the previous record daily total of 72.2mm set on August 19, 1989.

Senior forecaster Jeff Callaghan said the current low pressure system over south-east Queensland was a freak event, not seen since the 1800s.