EMERGENCY services crews were pushed to their limits yesterday attending half a dozen traffic accidents across the city in the space of just a few hours.

Five crashes were reported between Edmonton and Earlville within six hours with at least five people taken to Cairns Base Hospital for treatment.

A northbound train was also stopped on its tracks while an accident was cleared off the rails at Edmonton.

The frequency of the accidents after the season’s first serious rainfall has prompted a stern warning from Cairns traffic police to motorists to slow down and drive to the weather conditions.

"It’s the first day of real rain for the season and people are slip sliding all over the place," Sen-Sgt Preben Farbaek said.

"It’s an eye opener and, hopefully, not a sign of things to come."

A person was treated for minor injuries after a car smashed into a tree at the corner of Hardy Rd and Tarcoola St, Mt Sheridan, about 8am.

Within half and hour, emergency services were forced to close part of Robert Rd at Bentley Park to rescue a woman with head injuries.

At 11.20am, an elderly man was trapped in his car after it collided with a ute at the intersection of the Bruce Highway and Mill Rd.

The accident delayed a northbound train for almost an hour while the accident was cleared from the line.

Minutes later, another man was taken to hospital with minor injuries after his car ran into a sign on the Bruce Highway, north of the Robert Rd intersection.

Six people escaped injury in a crash at the corner of Ishmael and Mulgrave roads about 1.30pm.

An accident on the Captain Cook Highway, near Aeroglen, was reported about 9am but no-one was injured.

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