Dalby residents weather 144km/h winds as storms lash the region

A driver has navigated herself to safety after being caught in the middle of torrential rain on a highway in the Southern Downs overnight.

Deb Blackford said she was driving on the Moonie Hwy south of Dalby at 11.30pm when the area was hit by a severe storm.

The dashcam footage shows Ms Blackford continue to navigate the road as it becomes swamped with broken branches and water.

Days of heatwave conditions set the scene for an evening of intense storms last night, which swept through Dalby, Chinchilla, Warwick and the surrounds.

The Bureau of Meteorology recorded wind gusts of up to 144km/h in Dalby at 6.06pm, as a storm cell rolled through leaving damage in its wake.

Commenting of the Dalby Herald Facebook page, residents spoke of losing their trampolines and sheds, while others were afraid for their homes.

“My son’s little three-year-old daughter loves her trampoline and it was blown over the back fence into a vacant block and my daughter’s neighbour’s shed was blown into their backyard,” one woman told The Chronicle.

“(The weather) blew up quite quickly and unexpectedly.”

The Energex lightning tracker recorded 22,858 lightning strikes within a 100km radius from Dalby overnight, the majority touching ground west of the town.

The Energex Lightning tracker recorded 22,858 lightning strikes (ground events only) within 100km of Dalby overnight. The position of strike is indicated by the symbols.

BOM forecaster Livio Regano said an inland trough had given rise to the evening storms.

“It was quite a nasty cell up around Dalby,” Mr Regano said.

“144km/h wind gusts are extremely strong, that’s 70 knots.

“It also came with sudden heavy rain. Brigalow Bridge, near Dalby, received 92mm overnight.”

Mr Regano said there were also reports of small hail in Warwick and Stanthorpe, which experienced similar weather conditions.

He added that there were more storms on the horizon today

“There’s a likelihood of storms in the Darling Downs for the next two nights,” he said.

“This afternoon there is a greater chance for them on the Granite Belt, but you could see them anywhere in the region.

“It’s likely they will clear before Sunday and it will be hot again.”