Severe storms batter Southern Queensland with damaging winds and heavy rain
Southern Queensland has been hit by overnight storms with heavy rainfall, damaging winds and lightning smashing the region.
Southern Queensland has been battered by overnight storms with heavy rainfall, damaging winds and lightning smashing the region.
The storms, which initially flared up in Western Downs region and smashed towns including Tara, Dalby and Miles, moved northeast overnight and struck Moreton Bay and southern parts of the Sunshine Coast just before midnight.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned that at 11pm, severe thunderstorms likely to produce damaging winds and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding were detected near Kilcoy, the area west of Kilcoy and Mount Mee.
They moved east and hit Caboolture, Dayboro and Wamuran by 11.30pm and the area southwest of Caloundra, Narangba and Burpengary just before 12am.
The highest wind gust of 50km/h was recorded at Cape Moreton and Miles, while Dalby hit 44km/h.
Further south Cape Byron recorded wind speeds of 119km/h about 7.15pm.
Golf-ball-sized hail was recorded northwest of Grafton in NSW and some areas recorded up to 50mm of rain in 30 minutes.
BOM said mild thunderstorms were expected across Brisbane and South East Queensland later today, though they were not forecast to be dangerous.
Meteorologist Helen Reid said Brisbane would enjoy a break from storm activity from Tuesday to Thursday, before more intense weather returned over the weekend.
Those storms were also not expected to be severe.
Sunday night’s smashing comes after the southeast was hit with storms for seven weekends in a row.
In the most recent event, a record-breaking 14cm hailstone was found at Chandler in Brisbane’s southeast last Monday.
