Authorities in Australia warned that the worst may still be to come from bushfires that have swept along the east coast, killing three people and leaving more than 100 homes smouldering in their wake.

“The fires are still spreading,” the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said on Saturday, after a dramatic start to the region's wildfire season.

Five people remain unaccounted for, at least 30 have been injured and the death toll is expected to rise. Thousands have been forced from their homes, while bridges and power lines have been destroyed.

Gladys Berejiklian, New South Wales' leader, warned that next week's weather forecast "could mean we're not through the worst of it".

Fierce winds are reported to have exacerbated the fires and very high to severe fire danger ratings remain in place across much of the area. No rain is forecast across Queensland until next week.