Warwick weather: Residents warned to brace for giant hail, destructive winds

Residents across Warwick and the Southern Downs are being warned the severe weather hammering the southeast could hit the region within hours.

Experts are warning Warwick and Southern Downs residents to brace for potentially severe weather including heavy rainfall, destructive winds, and even giant hail.

The Thursday forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology indicates the region could be in the firing line of a severe storm system sweeping across the state’s southeast.

While Warwick largely missed out on the huge downpours and storm cells hitting towns such as Toowoomba and Dalby overnight Wednesday, BOM meteorologist Livio Regano warned residents should stay on high alert.

“We’ve had a cluster of pretty big juicy thunderstorms, and there’s some more coming in now that in the next few hours will break up,” he said.

“(Thursday) afternoon there’s a good chance we’ll get severe thunderstorms, large or even giant hail, and potentially destructive winds.

“We’ve had good falls out at Dalby and places around Miles through to Toowoomba, but there have been people in between who have had hardly any and it’ll be the same again today.”

BOM data indicates Warwick has received about 15mm of rain since Monday, with Applethorpe scoring about 26mm in the same period.

Mr Regano said most rainfall totals across the region would reach 5mm – 10mm, but residents under storm cells could see those numbers skyrocket.

“We just want people to be careful. Pack away loose items because there could be a bit of rain and wind around, move your car undercover, and be careful on the roads,” he said.

There is no current severe thunderstorm warning for the region at this stage.

Originally published as Warwick weather: Residents warned to brace for giant hail, destructive winds