Brisbane weather: Windy weather continues overnight after bomb cyclone
Wild winds have continued to smash South East Queensland, as icy blasts from the “cyclone bomb” hitting NSW and forcing the cancellation of multiple flights deliver more knock-on effects in the Sunshine State.
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Wild winds of up to 60km/h have slammed South East Queensland overnight, with 100km/h gusts still forecast, as icy blasts from the “cyclone bomb” that battered NSW also hit the Sunshine State, continuing to wreak havoc on flights.
Thousands of homes and businesses were without electricity late on Wednesday and at least 20 flights from Brisbane and Gold Coast airports were cancelled or delayed as wind gusts up to 81km/h buffeted the region.
Gale-force winds brought down trees and power lines in parts of the southeast, causing peak hour commuter chaos on the Cleveland rail line, with the strongest gust, 81km/h, recorded at Brisbane Airport shortly after 6pm.
The Bureau of Meteorology had warned there could be worse to come, with even more damaging winds of up to 100km/h possible on the Main Range and Scenic Rim into Thursday.
While the strongest gusts recorded overnight peaked at 61km/h, the Bureau warned of more damaging winds as the day developed, with gusts averaging 60-70km/h and peak gusts up to 100km/h likely.
A severe weather warning was issued for the Wide Bay and Burnett, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Southeast Coast forecast districts, but cancelled about 10.45am as winds began to ease.
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On Wednesday, the highest wind speeds recorded included 76km/h at Archerfield, 74km/h at Amberley and on the Gold Coast Seaway, and 70km/h at Brisbane Airport. Brisbane City was blasted by 63km/h winds.
More than 15,000 properties were left without power including 9100 in Logan, over 7000 in Brisbane and 1100 on the Gold Coast where hinterland areas such as Springbrook were hardest hit.
Redcliffe (61km/h) and the South East Queensland coast copped the worst of the overnight wind, with 57km/gusts at Cape Moreton and 50km/h recorded at Brisbane Airport.
Winds on the Darling Downs and Granite Belt dropped significantly, with Toowoomba recording the strongest gusts at 44km/h.
Sydney Airport on Wednesday warned service disruptions due to the extreme weather will be ongoing, with just a single runway in operation.
Four flights to Brisbane from Sydney and one from Canberra were cancelled on Thursday morning, with the same numbers repeating for flights out of Brisbane to those destinations.
Virgin Australia confirmed it had cancelled several flights entering and departing Sydney, with more delays likely as the storms pass over the state.
A Brisbane Airport spokesman urged passengers to stay alert for any updates or messages from their airline, with further cancellations and delays possible for school holiday and business travellers.
Airlines operating flights to Sydney were understood to be proactively contacting affected passengers, offering assistance with accommodation or helping them rebook on alternative services.
As the westerly winds dropped off slightly, temperatures climbed slightly on Thursday, after apparent temperatures across the South East plunged below freezing on Wednesday.
Toowoomba’s early morning low temperature of 0.7C plummeted to a “feels like” -5.5C on Wednesday, but climbed to 4.9C (apparent temperature of -3.1C), with wind gust up to 44km/h.
The story was repeated elsewhere in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt region, with Applethorpe’s Wednesday low of 2.5C (“feels like” -3.4C) rising to 2.8C (“feels like” -0.6C).
BOM senior forecaster Baden Gilbert said the winds were expected to ease on Thursday, making way for a warmer and sunny Friday.
Showers are forecast for the weekend before the fine weather returns for the second week of the school holidays.
Bureau of Meteorology’s Helen Reid said Friday and Saturday will be quite chilly for the South East.
“We are expecting to have a frosty morning creep in tomorrow. It will be fairly chilly mornings, Brisbane could see between 8C and 9C, Redcliffe, 10C, further inland at Logan, 6C and Ipswich 3C or 4C,” she said.
“We will see clear skies, reasonably dry air and a crisp start to the day with lots of sunshine.
“We might see a little bit of a shower with a cloud band on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, NSW was set to be lashed by more wild weather as two low-pressure systems swirled off the state’s coast.
Between 50mm and 100mm more rain was expected to hit the state’s south coast and Illawarra and inland across to mountainous areas – in addition to the deluge already experienced.
Forecaster Dean Narramore said Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Lismore were in for 70 to 90km/h winds “strong enough to bring down trees and power lines”.
The south coast copped the worst of the conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday with evacuations ordered in several areas, including Lake Conjola, where lakeside residents’ homes were inundated.
Across the state the NSW State Emergency Service responded to more than 2400 incidents and conducted 10 flood rescues.
Conditions were set to ease from Thursday with the arrival of a high-pressure system.
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Originally published as Brisbane weather: Windy weather continues overnight after bomb cyclone
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