Weather experts reveal 'perfect recipe' for Queensland's giant hail and supercell storms.
Weather experts reveal the reason between an outbreak of severe, hail-filled storms that have triggered chaos across South East Queensland this week – with more to come.
Weather experts have revealed the cause of an outbreak of severe thunderstorms across southern Queensland that unleashed giant hail and destructive winds, damaging homes, cars and cutting power to tens of thousands.
Bribie Island was among the worst-hit centres on Monday, with residents speculating a tornado had hit after roofs were ripped from homes and cars smashed by trees.
That storm also caused extensive damage south of Brisbane, which had experienced a hailstorm late the night before.
The wild weather has triggered disaster recovery grants in some areas and more storms are forecast for Saturday.
More than 1000 homes were still without power at 9:30pm Friday, with 406 in Noosa and 390 in Moreton Bay. The Friday outages are a significant improvement from a peak of 162,000 homes without power on Monday evening.
On Friday, a further 24 Moreton Bay suburbs were approved for disaster funding, taking the total number up to 61.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF SUBURBS BELOW
Weatherwatch meteorologist Anthony Cornelius said a sudden stratospheric warming event that began in August and September had changed weather patterns, helping to anchor a surface trough over the southeast for the past six weeks.
Combined with moisture from the Indian Ocean, and unusually warm ocean temperatures off the Queensland coast, the region has been a weather time bomb waiting to explode.
He said while Brisbane and surrounding areas were more prone to hail than many other parts of the country, the storms were more frequent than normal and the size of the hail was the result of “stronger levels of instability”.
Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe said hot and humid conditions near the ground and a cold upper atmosphere provide the perfect recipe for powerful supercell thunderstorms.
“In order to get very large hail, each individual thunderstorm cell needs to be long lived, the storm itself needs to exist for longer than an hour,” he said.
“These long-lived supercell thunderstorms that can produce the really large hail, they also require strong updrafts to hold that hail up in the air.
“You’re talking winds going up through the storm close to 200km/h in order to hold that hail up in the air and suspend it there.”
Residents have taken to social media to express their shock at the recent wild weather.
“The weather’s all over the bloody place, we used to just normally have hot and humid weather and we knew how it all played out, but nowadays, you can’t predict anything anymore,” Mark Whiting said. (Where did he say it, was it on the CM facebook, was it in response to a particular storm)
“What did Queenslanders do to deserve so much destruction on us,” Sherry Smith said.
NEW DISASTER FUNDING UNLOCKED
More suburbs in the Moreton Bay region will get crucial financial support in the wake of violent storms this week.
On Thursday the state and Commonwealth governments announced 37 storm-battered Moreton Bay suburbs would be eligible for Personal Hardship Assistance, offering $180 for individuals and up to $900 for a family of five or more to cover the costs of essentials such as food, clothing and medicine.
On Friday a further 24 were activated for the disaster funding.
“The clean-up from these storms remains ongoing, and our government is supporting affected Queenslanders every step of the way,” Queensland disaster recovery minister Ann Leahy said.
“Residents in activated areas of Moreton Bay can check their eligibility and apply via www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp or by calling the Queensland Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.”
The following new suburbs will now get support: Armstrong Creek, Banksia Beach, Beachmere, Bellara, Bellmere, Bellthorpe, Bongaree, Booroobin, Bracalba, Burpengary, Burpengary East, Caboolture, Campbells Pocket, Cashmere, Cedar Creek, Cedarton, Clear Mountain, Closeburn, Commissioners Flat, Corymbia, D’Aguilar, Dakabin, Dayboro, Deception Bay, Delaneys Creek, Donnybrook, Eatons Hill, Elimbah, Godwin Beach, Greenstone, Kallangur, Kurwongbah, Lawnton, Lilywood, Mango Hill, Meldale, Moorina, Morayfield, Mount Delaney, Mount Mee, Mount Pleasant, Narangba, Neurum, Ningi, Ocean View, Petrie, Rocksberg, Samsonvale, Sandstone Point, Stanmore, Toorbul, Upper Caboolture, Wagtail Grove, Wamuran, Wamuran Basin, Waraba, Welsby, White Patch, Whiteside, Woodford, Woorim.
Originally published as Weather experts reveal 'perfect recipe' for Queensland's giant hail and supercell storms.
Care worker to trafficker: Mum’s Snapchat meth deals revealed
