Thunderstorm warning issued for Brisbane as storm season kicks off

The weather bureau released a severe thunderstorm warning for Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon, saying “damaging winds and large hailstones” would be likely as the Sunshine State’s summer storm season gets off to an early start.

The bureau said an “inland trough combined with a southerly change” would produce severe thunderstorms in the south-east, with a general warning extending from Cleveland to Toowoomba from about 1pm.

It expected more severe thunderstorms to move from inland regions towards Brisbane and the Gold Coast this afternoon, with residents advised to seek shelter, including moving cars to protected positions, closing windows, and limiting travel.

“Today we are forecasting to see severe storms in the south-east of Queensland. In some areas, it’s possible to see those severe storms; in some areas, it’s likely,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Laura Boekel said.

“The impact of these storms today is really around hail, and winds as well.”

The storms had been forecast since the weekend, with parts of the Sunshine Coast hit with hail on Monday afternoon, and wet weather expected to extend beyond Wednesday afternoon.

Grab your brolly … severe storms are forecast for Brisbane on Tuesday.Credit: Lydia Lynch

Initial forecasting indicated inland areas would be most affected, but afternoon warnings included Beenleigh and Logan, with other storms expected to pass over the Gold Coast hinterland and parts of the Lockyer Valley.

The warning came just hours after the launch of the state’s “Get Ready Queensland Week” campaign, designed to remind Queenslanders to prepare for severe weather ahead of the disaster season.

Speaking at Corinda State High School along with Get Ready Queensland ambassador Johnathan Thurston, disaster-management authorities advised students and the media about the upcoming season.

“Just as every member of a footy team trains hard to achieve success on game day, every Queenslander can take steps now to get ready for extreme weather,” Thurston said.

Johnathan Thurston holds a goat as he kicks off Get Ready Queensland Week at Corinda State High School on Tuesday.Credit: Joseph Byford Photography

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner of Disaster and Emergency Management Shane Chelepy said the state had a “well-resourced, well-co-ordinated, and well-prepared disaster management system”.

“We do our bit every year in preparing Queensland for our natural disasters, but today I’m asking the community to do your bit,” Chelepy said.

Queensland Reconstruction Authority chief executive Jake Ellwood said there were three steps in its disaster preparedness plan.

“I would ask everyone to just consider three simple things: understand the risk that you’re living with, make a plan, pack an emergency kit.

“The weather won’t plan, but you can.”

The weather bureau released its severe weather outlook at the event, predicting “wetter than average, as well as warmer than average” conditions across the next three months.

“Warmer than average really highlights the risk of severe heatwaves, and also that poses a risk of bushfires,” said Boekel.

“We are going to see severe weather this season, and we really want everyone to prepare for that.”

For more information on the Get Ready plan, visit getready.qld.gov.au.

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