Qld weather: Bureau of Meteorology issues severe thunderstorm warning for South East Queensland
Severe storms – some flagged by the weather bureau as “very dangerous" have smashed southeast Queensland with forecasters warning tomorrow could bring even more destructive weather.
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Southeast Queensland has been lashed with severe storms bringing giant hail and damaging winds with unstable weather expected to continue into the night and tomorrow.
Multiple weather alerts – several for “very dangerous” storms – were issued across Thursday afternoon and evening.
Several storm cells formed from Gympie to the NSW border and everywhere in-between with many areas left covered in snowlike hail.
Energex confirmed that as 7.20pm 158,000 lightning strikes had hit southeast Queensland.
The severe thunderstorms across South East Queensland have caused thousands of homes and businesses to lose power. More than 7500 customers were without power in Southeast Queensland as at 7.15pm.
The bulk of those customers are in the Gympie region, with 2263 customers affected, 1320 customers on the Sunshine Coast have been affected, 676 residents have been impacted in the Somerset region, 45 in Logan, 1126 in Noosa, 43 in Scenic Rim and 540 customers in the Moreton Bay region.
Mount Mee, Delaney’s Creek, Moreton Bay and Caboolture were pelted with giant hail – some as large as tennis balls.
At 7.16pm warnings were issued for damaging winds and heavy rain for residents in Noosa and Gympie, while at 7.15pm a similar alert was issued for Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast forecast districts.
At 6.30pm the Bureau of Meteorology warned severe thunderstorms, likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall – that may lead to flash flooding – were detected near the area northwest of Gympie and Pomona.
They are forecast to affect Gympie, the area north of Gympie and Mount Kanighan by 6:40pm and the area northwest of Noosa Heads, the area east of Gympie and the area northeast of Gympie by 6:55pm.
The bureau’s storm outlook for Friday shows similar conditions with concerns there will be further severe storms with hail and heavy rain.
Earlier, BOM issued a weather alert at 5.12pm for Cherbourg, Gympie, Scenic Rim, South Burnett, Sunshine Coast, Noosa and the Gold Coast.
The alert warned that, at 5:10pm, very dangerous thunderstorms likely to produce destructive winds, giant hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding were detected near Mapleton and Yandina.
Other severe thunderstorms likely to produce damaging, locally destructive winds, large, possibly giant hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding were detected near Rathdowney.
The thunderstorms were moving towards the east to northeast. They were forecast to affect Murgon by 5:25pm and Goomeri and Lamington National Park by 5:40pm.
At 4.29pm the Bureau of Meteorology issued a new alert, warning a very dangerous thunderstorm was detected near Crohamhurst and Maleny, heading east towards the Sunshine Coast.
At 4.44pm the alert was upgraded to warn that Maroochydore, Caloundra and Nambour may be impacted by damaging, destructive winds, large, possibly giant hail and heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding.
Another alert, issues at 4:50pm, warned of very dangerous thunderstorms likely to produce destructive winds, giant hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding were detected near Montville, Palmwoods and the area south of the NSW border.
The thunderstorms moved towards the north to northeast. They were forecast to affect Nambour and Mapleton by 5:05pm and Yandina, waters off Tweed Heads and the area northwest of Mapleton by 5:20pm.
The Bureau warned severe thunderstorms are developing in a humid and unstable air mass over inland parts of the southeast and may persist throughout the afternoon.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Caboolture and Caloundra.
Earlier in the afternoon the cell headed for Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast was flagged as a “very dangerous” thunderstorm, but at 3.07pm it was downgraded to severe.
It comes after residents across South East Queensland were warned to expect possible “extensive” storms from Thursday evening, with conditions said to worsen on Friday.
Despite the change in category the storm still brought tennis ball-sized hail that battered the Moreton Bay region and the Sunshine Coast.
BOM meteorologist Shane Kennedy said Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts were facing possible volatile conditions on both days, although it was more likely the storms would hit the area on Friday.
BOM meteorologist Shane Kennedy said Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts were facing possible volatile conditions on both days, although it was more likely the storms would hit the area on Friday.
Another alert was issued at 3.24pm, for a severe storm for people in parts of Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Southeast Coast and Wide Bay and Burnett Forecast Districts. It was also expected to bring damaging winds, hail and heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding.
“This afternoon storms across SEQ will be hit or miss, they could become more extensive in the late afternoon as evening as they move,” Mr Kennedy said.
“Rainfall is expected to be a non significant 5-10mm.”
The storm threat is likely to increase slightly further inland, however, Mr Kennedy said.
“The Scenic Rim, near the Queensland and New South Wales border, could see large hail, damage and wind gusts on Thursday afternoon and evening,” he said.
Mr Kennedy said storms on Friday could compare to the destructive storms seen on Tuesday around South East Queensland.
The temperatures across Queensland over the weekend are expected to be three to six degrees higher than on the same dates in other years.
“Weather over the weekend will calm down with only a few showers,” Mr Kennedy said.
“Brisbane is expected to be 31C across the weekend.”
Originally published as Qld weather: Bureau of Meteorology issues severe thunderstorm warning for South East Queensland
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