‘Microburst’ storm leaves strip of destruction across Burnett

'The wildest storm in 30 years' has ripped through strips of the Burnett region, snapping mature trees and flooding homes in just minutes.

What is believed to be microburst or â supercell moved through parts of the Burnett in Thursday afternoon’s storms, leaving a narrow trail of damage and dumping torrential rain. Photos courtesy of Bri Hack.

What is believed to have been a “microburst” or “supercell” moved through parts of the Burnett on Thursday afternoon, leaving a strip of damage and dumping torrential rain, hail and wind.

Photographs posted by Bri Hack of the damage caused at their property at North Isis, near Redridge, showed multiple branches down, hail, “crazy wind” and 41mm of rain, but thankfully no injuries to humans or animals.

A video shared from near Childers in the same storm showed what Higgins described as rear flank downdraft winds, torrential rain and large hail.

The videographer said it was the wildest storm to hit her house in 30 years.

At Cooroy, a young woman was struck by lightning at the Cooroy Sporting Complex and died.

The 21-year-old was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after the reports of a lightning strike about 5.25pm yesterday.

She was treated by paramedics before being rushed to Nambour Hospital in a critical condition, but died overnight.

Photographs posted by Bri Hack of the damage caused at their property at North Isis, near Redridge, showed multiple branches down, hail, ‘crazy wind’ and 41mm of rain, but thankfully no injuries to humans or animals.

Back in the Burnett, residents in Childers said nothing like that had hit the town, though a Biggeden resident said things got “pretty wild” there for a while.

Cordalba reportedly received 51mm on Thursday, Horton 15mm, South Isis 10mm, 50mm at North South Road, 36mm at Abington, 26mm at Huxley and 44.4mm at Bundaberg, according to Weatherzone.

Forecast for the Wide Bay and Burnett for Friday is partly cloudy with a medium chance of showers, and a thunderstorm likely, “possibly severe with damaging winds, large hail and possible heavy falls”.

Light winds becoming NE 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the late evening.

Possibly severe storms could hit on Saturday.

Comments on Facebook indicated varied experiences in Thursday’s storms, with some reporting trees and fences down, roller doors blown in, broken windows, lounge and bedroom windows overflowing and soaking the carpet.

“The winds when it hit just outside of Childers just before 5pm were very strong and then a deluge - very heavy rain storm for about an hour,” one member said.

“Snapped mature trees in half, hail stripped most trees.40mm in 10 minutes. Pretty hectic,” said another, to which someone replied “Holy sh*t .. that’s crazy”.