‘Very dangerous’ storms hit SE Queensland
Storm clouds roll in at Vernor, near Fernvale in south-east Queensland on the weekend. Photo: ABC/Rob Crutcher
A severe storm has become “very dangerous” on Brisbane’s northern fringe, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Wednesday afternoon.
The BOM’s latest severe thunderstorm warning for Caboolture, north of Brisbane, and Caloundra and Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast predicted large to giant hail, heavy rain and flash flooding.
It said there was an “immediate threat” of destructive winds of more than 125km/h.
Several storm cells were sweeping the south-east region on Wednesday, with a BOM warning in place for the council areas of Logan, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Gympie, Scenic Rim, South Burnett, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
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There was also a broader warning for the Wide Bay and Burnett, South-East Coast, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Capricornia and Darling Downs and Granite Belt.
Hail has already fallen at Biddeston near Toowoomba, Stanthorpe and west of Gympie at Crownthorpe and Merlwood.
Energex said at 2pm there were 4803 customers without power across South-East Queensland.
The BOM said it expects a “carbon copy” of Tuesday’s wild weather.
Tuesday’s storms brought 72 millimetres of rain across Brisbane, with flash flooding reported in several areas during the city’s wettest October day for a decade.
The strength of the downpour caused cars to become submerged in parts of Brisbane’s east and south and swiftwater rescue crews were deployed to some areas.
BOM senior forecaster Peter Markworth told ABC Brisbane today could be just as bad, with more thunderstorms expected.
“It’s very much a carbon copy of what we saw yesterday, with showers and thunderstorms to pop up through the mid-morning and then start to roll off towards the east coast as we get through the afternoon,” Mr Markworth said.
“We are expecting super cells further out west, potentially making it over towards the coast,” Mr Markworth said.
“[So] we should expect a very similar situation to yesterday where we saw a bit of squall line move across with the heavy rainfall that fell across Brisbane city and suburbs.”
