Roads covered in ‘snow’ after bizarre Brisbane storm
Source: Bureau of Meteorology
Roads turned into rivers of ‘snow’ when a wild storm struck north of Brisbane on Wednesday night, dumping hail and rain and causing peak hour chaos.
The ceiling of a Woolworths supermarket and a martial arts business collapsed under the weight of the sudden downpour in Morayfield, north of the city.
The Morayfield Bunnings was closed as torrents of water inundated the business.
Flash flooding also struck the Gold Coast, with more than 100 millimetres of rainfall in an hour.
Woolworths is inundated at the Supa Centre, Morayfield. Photo: Facebook
In bizarre scenes in Morayfield, some streets looked like they had been hit by a snowstorm as piles of hail covered footpaths and carparks.
In other areas there was flash flooding, with water washing the “snow” down roadside gutters.
The snow rivers floated across roads as motorists tried to drive home in peak hour traffic.
A spring storm dumps ‘snow’ north of Brisbane. Photo: Facebook/Tony Latter
“Some crazy hail in Morayfield this afternoon!” Moreton Bay councillor Tony Latter posted to social media.
“SES are responding to numerous requests for assistance, especially around the Lakeview and Ridgegarden areas.”
Wintry scenes in the Fitness Cartel carpark, Morayfield. Photo: Facebook
The weather bureau issued a severe weather alert on Wednesday afternoon for south-east Queensland and northern NSW.
Meteorologist Angus Hines warned of large hail and damaging winds. plus areas of flash flooding as more rainfall was expected.
Hines said the thunderstorms in Queensland would ease on Thursday to more of a “standard showery onshore flow without the intense weather”.
Weatherzone said there were reports of giant hail of seven centimetres north of Injune about 1.20pm on Wednesday.
Bunnings Morayfield was forced to close. Photo: Facebook