The Retreat Creek at Sapphire is sitting just below 10 metres as a sharp downpour of rain fell on Wednesday morning.

At 10.07am, it was measured at 9.3 metres.

The Retreat Creek bridge is 9.1 metres - the minor flood level is 9 metres, moderate 9.3 metres and major is 9.6 metres.

The day previous, on March 16, the river was sitting around half a metre.

Rain began falling around 1.45am as the river height began to rise.

By 2.30am, it was at 4 metres and by 3.12am, it was 7 metres.

Within 22 minutes at 3.39am, it rose another two metres, recorded at 9 metres.

The highest the river got to was 9.8 metres which was last recorded at 8.29am.

It has been sitting mostly steady since 8.35am and is slowly receding.

Mackenzie River rainfalls until 9am March 17:

Sapphire: 87mm

Rubyvale: 115mm

Clermont Airport: 121mm

Fairbairn Dam: 31mm

Keilambete (west of Rubyvale): 216mm

Springsure: 26mm

Sandstone Park: 98mm

Borilla Creek: 114mm

Kilamook Station (north of Rubyvale): 188mm

Blackdown Tableland: 45mm

All data in this story has been compiled from the Bureau of Meteorology.