Queensland weather: Severe storms forecast again after supercells cause destruction, fires
Storms are starting to fire up across South East Queensland after a hot and humid day with temperatures soaring beyond 40C in some parts of the state.
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Storm cells are starting to move across South East Queensland as the region remains on high alert for severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, large hail and heavy falls.
It comes as a severe heatwave has seen temperatures climb into the mid-40s in parts of Queensland.
A house was extensively damaged after being struck by lightning at Winya, in the Somerset region west of Brisbane, yesterday afternoon. Two women were injured.
A neighbour of the home said they were concerned about more storms on the horizon.
“The storm was really bad,” the man said, revealing furniture from his balcony had blown away.
The debris surrounding the house had not yet been removed, and a power line had been badly damaged in the storm.
“I’m just worried if it storms again that all those loose bits will be blown straight onto my property,” the neighbour said.
It is understood the women were recovering well at hospital.
The family has been contacted for comment.
The same storm ignited a bushfire at Mt Kilcoy, with eight crews fighting the blaze. More than 4000 lightning strikes were recorded and temperatures climbed well beyond 40C in parts of the state.
Storms are again starting to brew in the area north-west of Brisbane on Thursday.
Weather forecasters are warning even more wild weather is on the way over the next 48 hours, with dangerous supercell storms predicted for today and Friday.
“The wild impacts will be isolated each day, but the threat is real,” Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe said.
He said Friday’s storms will be the most severe.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Helen Reid said Queenslanders should expect “more of the same action today” with severe thunderstorms expected to develop around coastal and western parts of the state.
“Humidity is the fuel of thunderstorms and that trough that is moving through the state up from New South Wales is really nicely developing,” Ms Reid said.
“It is a very similar environment today but we can definitely expect more thunderstorms on the cards and more lightning, it is just a matter of where it is going to strike, watch this space for updates and those weather warnings.”
Ms Reid said the system was also spanning as far north as Bundaberg.
“The heatwave which is currently being experienced in the north is definitely enabling severe thunderstorm like conditions,” she said.
Temperatures have also soared across Queensland, with Longreach reaching 44.2C just after midday, while the temperature climbed to 43.5C in nearby Winton about 20 minutes later.
Brisbane’s temperature climbed to 33.5C just before midday, while the mercury has hit 34.8C in Gatton, 37C at Amberley and 36.4 at Greenbank. .
Mr Sharpe said while the next 48 hours would be highlighted by potentially dangerous storms, next week could see an increase in rain.
“Next week showers and thunderstorms will build again across eastern and northern Australia with an even wetter week for the country on the cards” Mr Sharpe said.
The cause is a series of troughs that are set to roll across the country.
Weatherzone states that most forecast models suggest this wet and stormy weather will continue into the first half of next week.
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