Man dies, found near fallen powerlines in ‘very dangerous’ Brisbane storm

A young man’s body has been found next to fallen powerlines after a vicious storm ripped through southeast QLD, bringing 170km/h winds.

A 30-year-old man’s body has been found next to fallen powerlines after a severe and dangerous thunderstorm ripped through Brisbane.
Brisbane and surrounding cities were hit on Friday afternoon by several fast-moving storms that lashed the city with monstrous winds, large hail and staggering amounts of rain.

Though the storms passed quickly, emergency services confirmed they had been deadly.

Four storms moved through Brisbane and surrounding cities on Friday. Picture: BOM.

Emergency services were called to Murarrie Road just after 5pm to reports of an unconscious man found near fallen powerlines.

The man was found with life-threatening injuries, authorities said. He was declared dead shortly thereafter.

Investigations into the man’s death are ongoing and a report is being prepared for the coroner.

Hell of a hail storm, Brisbane (sound on). This is it at about 80% strength. If I'd known, I would have put the car undercover. Lots of pooling beneath our windows too. pic.twitter.com/97xH4pwIkz

— Sammy - @lollyfoot.bsky.social (@lollyfoot) December 15, 2023

Four storms hit Brisbane and its surrounding area in quick succession on Friday afternoon, with the Bureau of Meteorology labelling the easternmost system “very dangerous”.

Wind gusts of 169km/h were recorded at Archerfield Airport in southern Brisbane as a result of the first storm front — tens of kilometres per hour faster than the strongest winds recorded during Cyclone Jasper.

The BOM issued a warning for destructive winds, heavy rain and large hail for regions including Brisbane City, Logan and Ipswich.

Trees were brought down at Springfield Lakes, west of Brisbane, while hail battered Inala, Corinda and Rocklea in Brisbane’s southwest.

West of the Gold Coast, Round Mountain near Kooralbyn recorded more than 50 millimetres of rain in 30 minutes. Hail measuring 3-4cm in size landed in several suburbs south of the Brisbane River.

By 5:30pm, 18,800 customers had lost power in Brisbane, Logan and the Scenic Rim.

More than 3000 of them were in Moorooka.

Queensland police said they were responding to reports of fallen trees and powerlines on nearby Ipswich and Beaudesert roads in Moorooka. Divers were urged to avoid the area.

A spokesman for Brisbane Airport confirmed two international flights — one from Doha and the other from Wellington — had been diverted away from Brisbane and rerouted to Sydney due to the storms.

The first “very dangerous” storm was moving towards Moreton Island at about 5:30pm on Friday, the BOM said.

It is expected to move offshore later in the evening, while three more storms pass through.

One man’s property as the first storm hit. Picture: Facebook.

18,800 residents were without power. Picture: Facebook.

Meanwhile farther north, heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding persists across the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands, where Cyclone Jasper hit earlier this week.

A major flood warning is still in place for the Daintree River.

The river at Daintree Village was at 7.95 metres and rising on Friday, with moderate flooding. It is expected to exceed major flood level, 9 metres, by Friday evening.

Major flooding is likely to develop at Daintree Village from Friday Evening, the BOM said.

Bands of heavy rainfall continued to fall over Far North Queensland on Friday, with between 70 and 100mm recorded across the Daintree catchment between 9am and 4:30pm.

“Renewed river rises are occurring along the Daintree River during Friday afternoon,” the BOM said. “Further north across the Bloomfield River catchment, river rises are also occurring at China Camp.”