Brisbane weather: Blustery conditions as east coast low smashes NSW

Wind gusts approaching 80km/h have left more than 15,000 South East Queensland homes without power, as the effects of a “bomb cyclone” smashing NSW are felt.

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Strong wind gusts approaching 80km/h, thousands of homes are without power and freezing temperatures are being experienced across South East Queensland, as the knock-on effects of a super-sized “bomb cyclone” tearing into the NSW coast impact the region.

Multiple flights have been cancelled in and out of multiple airports in NSW and the ACT, causing headaches for Queenslanders at a number of airports across the state, with wind gusts up to 124km/h recorded south of the border.

As of 12.00pm on Wednesday, at least 20 inbound and outbound flights between Brisbane Airport and Sydney Airport have been cancelled or delayed.

Strong wind gusts are also taking down around the South East. Brisbane City Council removed a tree blocking access to Moggill Road near Pullenvale after the tree fell shortly before midday.

Thousands of homes are without power across the southeast after wind gusts of up to 76km/h were recorded, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning gusts could reach up to 100km/h over the next 24 hours.

Weather - Strong wind at The Spit on the Gold Coast. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Wide Bay and Burnett, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Southeast Coast Forecast Districts are in the firing line after a low-pressure system formed off the New South Wales coast on Monday, grounding aircraft and bringing heavy rain to the region.

Across Queensland’s southeast, more than 6500 homes have lost power including 3200 in Brisbane, 1800 in Ipswich, 700 on the Gold Coast, 500 on the Sunshine Coast, 400 in Moreton Bay and 60 in the Scenic Rim.

Brisbane Airport is feeling the effects of cancelled flights to and from Sydney due to bad weather. Picture: Richard Walker

The highest wind speeds that have been recorded include 76km/h at Archerfield, 74km/h at Amberley and on the Gold Coast Seaway, with 70km/h recorded at Brisbane Airport. Brisbane City has also been blasted by 63km/h winds.

As of 5pm across Queensland’s southeast, more than 15,300 homes and businesses have lost power including over 7000 in Brisbane, 9100 in Logan, 1580 in the Redlands, 1000 in Moreton Bay, 490 in the Scenic Rim, and 203 in Ipswich.

Weather - Strong wind at The Spit on the Gold Coast. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Weather - Strong wind at The Spit on the Gold Coast. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Damaging winds averaging 60km/h to 70 km/h with peak gusts around 100 km/h are likely around the Main Range, Granite Belt, Scenic Rim and adjacent eastwards slopes throughout Wednesday and into and early Thursday.

Sydney Airport has warned service disruptions due to the extreme weather will be ongoing, with just a single runway in operation.

A Brisbane Airport spokesperson urged passengers to stay alert for any updates or messages from their airline.

Airlines operating flights to Sydney are understood to be proactively contacting affected passengers, offering assistance with accommodation or helping them rebook on alternative services.

Apparent temperatures in the southeast have dropped dramatically, as the strong winds take effect, with gusts up to 56km/h recorded overnight.

The strong westerly winds are also making cold temperatures feel even colder, with Toowoomba’s early morning low temperature of 0.7C falling dramatically to a “feels like” apparent temperature of -5.5C, with the story repeated elsewhere in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt region.

Applethorpe recorded the strongest winds, with gusts up to 56km/h, taking the temperature from 2.5C to a “feels like” apparent temperature of -3.4C.

Oakey’s 2.8C low felt more like -3.6C, with gusts up to 33km/h, while in Goondiwindi the 4.7C low plunged to an apparent temperature of -0.2C.

Closer to the coast, wind gust were over 50km/h at Amberley, Gatton and Cape Moreton, with their affects on temperatures similar to those inland, causing at least a five-degree drop in many places.

Weather bureau meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said the major impact for South East Queensland on Wednesday would be winds.

“We do have a severe weather warning current for parts of South East Queensland, most notably that’s for elevated parts of South East Queensland,” she said.

“The strongest winds and that risk of damaging winds is more likely about those elevated areas inland.

“So that includes the Main Range, the Granite Belt, Scenic Rim, early in the morning and continuing through much of the day.

“It’s going to be very windy across the South East.”

Brisbane was hit by 48km/h winds overnight, with apparent temperature dropping to 6.9C from 10.9C.

Winds were lighter on the Sunshine Coast, while 43km/h gusts were recorded at the Gold Coast seaway.

Wind gusts of 124km/h were recorded south of Sydney overnight. Picture: Thomas Lisson

It comes as NSW’s east coast wakes up after a night of destruction, with residents ordered to flee their coastal homes, countless trees and powerlines down and transport chaos via air, land and sea. But the weather threat was not over just yet, with the potential for more rain to fall on Wednesday.

Residents were urged to bunker down indoors as the “bombogenesis” weather system brought gale-force winds, heavy rainfall and flash flooding to the Hunter, Central Coast, Sydney and Illawarra regions.

Emergency evacuation warnings were issued for waterfront residents at Wamberal and North Entrance after wild winds whipped up damaging surf.

Wind peaked at 5:30am inside the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, with a gust recorded at Wattamolla of 124km/h at 5:31am, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

SES volunteers went door to door to warn of dangerous waves pounding the coastline and causing significant damage to buildings.

Wind speeds reached 91km/h at Kiama and 87km/h at Kurnell and Gosford, with roofs ripped from shops at Long Jetty and powerlines downed across the area, leaving almost 27,000 Ausgrid customers – mostly around the Lake Macquarie and Central Coast regions – without power.

Commuters also suffered, with dozens of flights cancelled and Sydney Airport operating off a single runway, ferry services cancelled or suspended and train services on the Central Coast and Penrith lines paused.

Originally published as Brisbane weather: Blustery conditions as east coast low smashes NSW