Thousands of Tasmanians are without power and many are preparing to evacuate their properties as severe winds and heavy rainfall continues to batter the state.

Residents on the Derwent River have been told to get ready to evacuate with authorities warning properties are likely to become isolated.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a major flood warning for the river on Sunday morning, with property, livestock, equipment, and crops all likely to be threatened by floodwaters.

Provider TasNetworks said more than 280 outages had left around 30,000 customers without power, and warned the continued poor weather would likely affect many more.

“I expect that we will have customers out overnight again, we’re going to be hit tonight with more winds and I expect more outages,” Tas Networks CEO Sean McGoldrick said.

“This is going to go on for another few days as we repair the assets damaged by some extremely tough winds.”

The SES responded to 330 incidents in the 24 hours to 8am on Sunday, with a host of warnings issued for extreme weather expected for the next few days.

Police said they responded to almost 600 incidents in the 24 hours to 7am on Sunday, with most due to storm damage.

People in southeast Tasmanian towns on the Derwent – including Meadowbank, Glenora, Bushy Park, Gretna and Macquarie Plains – are being urged to enact flood emergency plans and prepare their properties for inundation.

That includes putting furniture and possessions in high locations and moving livestock to higher ground.

If conditions get worse, residents should leave their properties if safe to do so and go to a more secure location.

“Tasmania SES has issued a Flood Watch and Act for communities along the Derwent River .. please prepare now to go to a safer place if conditions become more dangerous,” executive director Mick Lowe said.

“There is potential for properties to be inundated, and roads may not be accessible … if flooding in your area occurs, remember, never drive or enter floodwaters.”

An evacuation centre has been opened in New Norfolk.

The BOM has forecast as much as 50mm rain overnight on Sunday in some parts of western Tasmania with the heaviest rain predicted from early on Sunday evening until midnight.

Senior meteorologist Alex Melitsis said the winds eased early on Sunday but would increase in the afternoon ahead of a “significant” cold front in the evening.

Severe winds and gale-force gusts have buffeting Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria, while Queensland is sweltering in near-record temperatures after the nation’s outback interior roasted during the week.

Gusts of up to 110km/h are likely in Tasmania, potentially reaching 125km/h in parts.

A 156km/h gust was recorded in the state’s northwest on Saturday morning.

On the south coast, Maatsuyker Island recorded a gust of 165km/h, about as strong as a category three tropical cyclone, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

As a result, the Spirit of Tasmania cancelled a scheduled trip from Devonport to Geelong on Saturday night.

Passengers were told they could board the vessel and stay onboard overnight then start their journey back to the mainland at 7.30am on Sunday.

Speaking on Saturday, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said 1500 properties were still without power, with more wild weather on the way.

“Please heed the warnings … we have extremely rare and dangerous winds, rising floodwaters and 1500 Tasmanians without power,” he said.

Across the Bass Strait in Victoria, damaging winds continue in the south after power was restored to more than 20,000 customers in the state’s centre and west following destructive winds during the week.