Queensland weather: Giant hail, dangerous storm warning for Gympie and Noosa

Giant hail over 6cm in diameter has been recorded on the Sunshine Coast with BOM issuing a warning for a very dangerous thunderstorm this afternoon.

A large hailstone that fell at Belli Park on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Glenn Mundey

Giant hailstones over 6cm in diameter have been recorded on the Sunshine Coast this afternoon with a “very dangerous storm” warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology.

The latest warning, activated at 2.45pm for people in the Gympie and Noosa council areas, is for a very dangerous thunderstorm that is “likely to produce large, possibly giant hailstones”.

A very dangerous storm is impacting Noosa and the Gympie council area this afternoon. Picture: BOM

It was detected near the area north of Noosa Heads and Lake Cootharaba.

The thunderstorm is moving towards the northeast. It is forecast to affect Lake Cooloola by 3.15pm.

Hail 6cm is diameter was reported from Belli Park at 2.10pm.

The wild weather has caused trees to fall on Waratah Close at Tewantin.

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An earlier warning was activated at 1.40pm for people in parts of the Sunshine Coast and Noosa council areas

The Bureau of Meteorology warned that “at 1.35pm, a severe thunderstorm likely to produce large hailstones was detected near Mapleton and the area northwest of Mapleton.

“This thunderstorm is moving towards the northeast.

A storm warning active for the Sunshine Coast and Noosa council areas.

“It is forecast to affect Yandina and the area southwest of Eumundi by 2.05pm and the area southwest of Noosa Heads, the area west of Noosa Heads and Cooroy by 2.35pm.”

The storms come ahead of a surge of tropical moisture sweeping across Australia, which is expected to bring widespread rain to Queensland.

Large hail at Tinbeerwah near Noosa. Picture: Jackie Kearney

“Rain and thunderstorms will increase over the north of WA this weekend as tropical moisture feeds into a deepening area of low pressure,” Weatherzone’s Ben Domensino said.

“This wet and stormy weather will then spread over Central Australia on Monday before forming a broad rainband that will drench southeastern and eastern Australia between Tuesday and the end of next week.”

Widespread rain is expected across most parts of Australia and into Queensland over the next week. Picture: Weatherzone

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Felix Hanniffy said the start of next week would see cooler temperatures before the rainband reaches South East Queensland.

“By the middle of the week, the temperature will cool off, once we see that cloud band moving in so generally, temperatures cooling off across the southern half of Queensland,” Mr Hanniffy said.

“And then cloud cover is expected to spread east, so a lot more cloud for the second half of the week, across the southeast.

“As well showers we could see potential thunderstorms, probably after more like Thursday or Friday in South East Queensland.”

Originally published as Queensland weather: Giant hail, dangerous storm warning for Gympie and Noosa