Qld weather: Tree falls on car on Coronation Drive as Brisbane city hit by storm

A woman has been taken to hospital after a tree fell on a car on Brisbane’s Coronation Drive as a storm delivered heavy rain to the CBD. It comes as the Bureau of Meteorology predicts rain and storms over the Christmas weekend.

A 33-year-old woman has been taken to a Brisbane hospital after a tree fell on a car on Coronation Drive as a rainstorm hammered Brisbane’s inner city.

The woman was taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital after the tree fell at Auchenflower about 2.40pm, with Queensland Ambulance Service saying she was in a stable condition with neck pain.

Several outbound lanes and one inbound lane were blocked at the intersection of Coronation Drive and Sylvan Road but has since reopened.

In a separate incident, stuck boom gates at Ferny Grove are causing traffic chaos on the northside.

Police were notified at 3:20pm when the Samford Rd crossing became stuck, bringing local traffic to a stand still.

A police spokesman said the trains have now stopped and engineers are on site working on the problem.

Although officers are on scene helping navigate traffic, its recommended motorists avoid the area with the crossing now closed.

A tree branch fell onto a car on Coronation Drive during a storm this afternoon. Photo – Lloyd Bowles

South East Queensland is getting a taste of what’s to come over Christmas, with a line of storms from the NSW border to the Sunshine Coast delivering rain and loud thunder.

And storm activity has continued into the night, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing a severe thunderstorm warning about 6.45pm for parts of Wide Bay and Burnett, Maranoa and Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Southeast Coast forecast districts.

The storm was likely to bring damaging wind gusts, heavy rainfall and even flash flooding.

Locations that may be affected by flash flooding included Warwick, Dalby, Stanthorpe, Inglewood, Chinchilla and Miles.

Southern Queensland is in for a wet Christmas break with meteorologists forecasting storms across the weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast showers and storms for multiple regions across the coming days, with a focus in the south.

BOM meteorologist Shane Kennedy said unsettled weather could be severe in southern and central Queensland with localised heavy rain and severe thunderstorms.

“The main focus of severe thunderstorms for the next few days is likely to be in the Darling Downs and Maranoa and Warrego districts, moving into the Central Highlands particularly between Longreach and Emerald over the weekend,” Mr Kennedy said.

“Flooding continues in southern Queensland with a major flood warning for the Balonne River.

“As flood water move towards New South Wales, impacts to main highways through the Christmas to New Year period are expected.”

The clean-up operation after a tree fell on a car on Coronation Drive. Picture: Reece D'Allesandro/Twitter

There is also the potential for renewed river rises in the south and southeast, depending on the location and intensity of rainfall.

Sunnier conditions are expected until Sunday for those in the north east of the state.

Mr Kennedy said a monsoon trough was forecast to develop over the Northern Territory on the weekend which may move across northern Queensland next week.

Workers remove the tree after the accident. Picture: David Clark

It’s possible a low will track across the state and linger near the east coast from Wednesday.

“Widespread rainfall is possible across northern and eastern districts next week, dependant on the position and strength of the monsoon trough and low,” Mr Kennedy said.

A high chance of showers will remain for Brisbane on Christmas Eve with up to 15mm forecast and the chance of a thunderstorm.

Christmas Day for the state’s capital is forecast to be similar with up to 10mm of rain forecast and a high chance of showers in the morning and afternoon.

Showers are forecast for the region into Wednesday.

Traffic has since returned to normal. Picture: David Clark

The Sunshine Coast has been issued a similar forecast with a high chance of showers for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and into Monday when up to 45mm is expected to fall.

The Gold Coast is also in for a wet Monday with up to 50mm forecast for the region.

Christmas Day for the southern region won’t be quite as wet with up to 8mm of rain forecast and the chance of a thunderstorm.