Bureau of Meteorology urging Queenslanders to be vigilant as storm season rolls in

Queenslanders are being urged to keep on the lookout as forecasters predict an impending severe storm season. See footage of a Southern Downs residents close encounter with a lightning strike here.

Storms have thrashed parts of South East Queensland over the past 24 hours, recording damaging winds and hail.

Pine Hill in the Western Downs region also saw its fair share on Monday afternoon, recording 40mm of rainfall in just half an hour.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jonathan How said there’s a possibility Toowoomba, the wider Darling Downs and out west could be in the firing line of widespread storms from Thursday.

The Western Downs region saw residents in the Pine Hill area hit with heavy rainfalls in the space of 30-minutes on Monday afternoon. Photo: File

Mr How said Thursday was looking to be the biggest day for storm activity across the region, with Saturday also bringing the possibility of heavy falls and hail.

“We can see these storm outbreaks happening more often as we come into storm season and particularly through November,” he said.

“November will bring warmer temperatures and a high chance of seeing above average storm activity.”

Mr How said with storm season now under way it’s important that residents across Queensland, including the Darling Downs and South West, keep a close eye on the radar and for storm warnings.

Parts of the Southern Downs witnessed a damaging thunderstorm in the early hours of Monday, with one resident narrowly escaping a deadly encounter.

Wheatvale resident Trevor Dawes was violently woken by the sound of a howling crack of lightning, which destroyed a tree only 30 odd metres from where he slept in his caravan.

“It rocked the van. If I was outside it would have knocked me over,” he said.

Mr Dawes described the sensation of the explosion “like being at the end of a tank barrel when shot”.

A tree which once stood 40m tall near Wheatvale in the Southern Downs was destroyed by lightening in the early hours on Monday. Photo: Trevor Dawes

Having spent the better part of 15 years chasing storms around the region and afar, Mr Dawes said he’s never witnessed anything like Monday’s lightning strike.

“I’ve chased a lot of storms and had my fair share of close lightning strikes but nothing has ever come close to this moment,” he said.

The sheer force of the lightning is said to have scattered debris for 100m and into a neighbouring paddock.

Over the coming days and into the start of November, the Darling Downs and western region can expect to see a rise in temperatures.

“Over the next few days the Darling Downs can expect to see above average temperatures for this time of year and warmer days at the start of next week,” Mr How said.

Toowoomba and the Darling Downs is expected to sit around the mid to high 20Cs this week, moving into the low 30Cs from the start of next week.

Further west can expect to see temperatures soar into the high 30Cs as of next week.

Mr How said November’s impending warmer weather will likely bring with it a high chance of above average storm activity.

Originally published as Bureau of Meteorology urging Queenslanders to be vigilant as storm season rolls in