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Gutsy Queenslander Kimberly Birrell has hung tough to turn up the heat on veteran Kaia Kanepi, sending the part-time ice road trucker packing in the first round of the Australian Open.

The Estonian No.31 seed served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but Birrell fought back before powering through the third set to win 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 in two and half hours as the temperature soared past 35 degrees at Melbourne Park.

The 24-year-old became one of just two Australian women to advance to the second round at their home slam this year, joining Olivia Gadecki, who beat Russian Polina Kudermetova on Monday.

Kanepi, 37, drives trucks in her native country in her spare time and for much of the deciding set on Tuesday she looked like she'd rather be back there - or anywhere else really - rather than slugging it out with Birrell under the blazing sun at Kia Arena.

Birrell's only two previous victories at grand slam level came during her run to the third round of the 2019 Australian Open.

Tuesday's triumph was even more satisfying as she has battled a series of serious injuries in recent years.

"I would say that even without this win today it was all worthwhile," Birrell said.

I'm doing what I absolutely love ... living the dream."

Birrell took full advantage of her late wildcard into the 2023 tournament, which only became available when former world No.1 Venus Williams handed it back after suffering a leg injury at the warm-up event in Auckland.

Kanepi has reached the quarter-finals seven times at the majors, most recently last year at Melbourne Park.

It seemed likely that all of that big-match experience would be telling late in the second set on Tuesday, only for Birrell to turn the tide and break back for 5-5 before holding her nerve in the tiebreaker to force a decider.

"To be honest, I was trying not to think about it," said Birrell.

I knew she was a quality player and I know how deep she has gone in slams.

"Congrats to her for all the success she's had, but I'm just so happy that I won today and get to play here again."

Birrell's second-round opponent will be Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, who beat fellow Australian wildcard Jaimee Fourlis 6-0 6-4 on Tuesday.

Countrywomen Storm Hunter and Talia Gibson were both eliminated on day one.

Australia's highest-ranked female player Ajla Tomljanovic was forced to withdraw with a knee injury two days before the tournament began.

© AAP 2023

Tributes are flowing for an Australian man named among the dozens of passengers killed in a plane crash in Nepal.

He has been named as 29-year-old Myron William Love from Sydney, but the government is yet to confirm his death.

Mr Love was identified as a casual teacher from Bronte and an avid surfer, cyclist, photographer and traveller.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Monday confirmed that one Australian was on board and it was "urgently seeking to confirm the welfare of the Australian".

The Yeti Airlines plane went down on Sunday en route to Pokhara from the capital Kathmandu.

The cause for the crash remains unknown, with clear weather reported, but the plane's black boxes have been located.

A friend of Mr Love's took to Instagram to pay tribute to "a truly kind, fun, energetic man we will forever love".

"It is with extreme sadness to say we have lost one of the best humans I have ever known," a Sydney-based artist lesjak_atton posted.

"Myron was one of the loves of my life. I send all my love to those who need it right now."

Rescue efforts continued in Pokhara on Tuesday morning, with two bodies yet to be recovered, Nepal's Ambassador to Australia Kailash Pokharel told ABC Radio National on Tuesday.

"Fifteen foreign nationals, including one Australian were on the plane," he said.

"This is very tragic and my heart goes to all the victims and their families."

Flights were resuming to normal service across Nepal on Tuesday.

Mr Love's name appears on a passenger manifest of the flight, Indian news site Republic World reported.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday tweeted that the crash was "incredibly sad news".

Nepali authorities had recovered 70 bodies from the flight carrying 72 people, as of early Tuesday morning Australian time.

The search was called off as night fell in Nepal, and will resume on Tuesday morning.

The Yeti Airlines crash is the nation's deadliest since 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 crashed into a hillside, killing 167 people.

Almost 350 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal since 2000.

with Reuters

© AAP 2023

Rising floodwaters have cut north Queensland's main transport corridor, trapping dozens of travellers and isolating communities with more rain on the way.

The Bruce Highway is closed in multiple locations in the state's north, with motorists stranded as floodwaters continue to rise.

Up to 100 people are trapped in the town of Bloomsbury, north of Mackay, as they wait for floodwaters to recede.

Acting premier Steven Miles said there had been some reprieve with patchy rain lower than expected overnight but warned residents to maintain caution.

"We continue to see significant road closures throughout the entire region," Mr Miles said,

"Creeks and rivers are rising and falling very rapidly."

With the Bruce Highway cut, Mr Miles said the priority would be ensuring locals had adequate access to supplies, with some areas expected to be isolated for up to a week.

"Our concern at this stage is resupply for those communities who are now isolated," he said.

"Those communities may be isolated for days or even up to a week."

The Mackay Regional Council has closed more than 40 local roads as the dangerous weather system continues to impact the region.

Warnings have been issued for more than a dozen river systems and catchment areas across north Queensland.

Major flood warnings are in place for the Pioneer, Don and Georgina rivers, and for Eyre Creek.

Mackay residents have been warned to avoid parking in parts of the CBD, but floodwaters are not expected to breach the Pioneer River's banks at Mirani.

"If heavy rainfall in the Mackay urban area coincides with the high tide the water will take some time to drain away," the Mackay council warned.

"Areas impacted will include farmland and some other low-lying areas, but no inundation of homes is expected."

Heavy rainfall is expected to continue on Tuesday as the weather bureau warned of flash flooding over the Central Coast and Whitsundays, with the system expected to shift offshore to the north late in the day.

Six-hourly rainfall totals between 100 to 180 millimetres are likely with isolated 24-hourly totals up to 300mm.

Over the southeastern Herbert and Lower Burdekin and far northeastern Central Highlands and Coalfields districts, six-hourly rainfall totals between 80 to 120mm are possible.

Six-hourly rainfall totals between 200 to 250mm are possible, particularly about the coast and ranges north of about Mackay to Nebo.

It follows days of wet weather with 24-hour falls of 392mm recorded at Jubilee Pocket, 372mm at Peter Faust Dam, 317mm at Proserpine Airport and 313mm at Preston and Bowen

Rain and thunderstorms will continue until Wednesday around the central coast of Queensland, while showers and thunderstorms will continue across much of northern Australia and inland Queensland.

© AAP 2023