Severe Thunderstorms Ravage South-East Queensland with Hail and Flooding

Severe thunderstorms have caused extensive damage across south-east Queensland, bringing heavy rain, hail, and localized flash flooding. The most affected area was Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast, where more than 100 millimetres of rain fell within a six-hour period on Wednesday afternoon.

This marks the second consecutive day of storms impacting the region, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing forecasts for further thunderstorms on Thursday. At Morayfield in Moreton Bay, the weight of the rain caused the ceiling of a martial arts center to collapse. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported, and the establishment announced its temporary closure on social media.

Bureau of Meteorology Senior Forecaster Felim Hanniffy reported that weather conditions were beginning to ease over the Gold Coast and Brisbane, predicting further improvement overnight. “The intensity of the rainfall has eased in comparison to what it was an hour or two ago,” Hanniffy explained, adding that lingering showers might persist into the morning but are expected to move offshore.

Mudgeeraba recorded an intense rainfall of 86 millimetres within one hour. Overall, the hinterland and southern areas of the Gold Coast experienced rainfall amounts ranging from 50 to 130 millimetres in some pockets. Hanniffy highlighted that the thunderstorm and potential heavy rain were moving towards the Sunshine Coast, with the risk of locally moderate falls continuing into Thursday morning.

Larger hailstones, up to 7 centimetres, were reported in the Western Downs and Maranoa regions. In particular, areas near Kogan saw dirt roads transform into what resembled snowfields covered in hail. Hayden Lee, a local resident, described driving through nearly 10 kilometres of road blanketed by hailstones the size of golf balls.

The Bureau of Meteorology continues to forecast severe thunderstorms for parts of central and north-eastern Queensland, advising residents to remain vigilant. The state has been under a storm watch after two days of heavy rain and strong winds left up to 5,000 homes without electricity.

Additional severe weather phenomena, including giant hail, destructive winds, tornadoes, and intense rainfall, were reported by Hanniffy. He stated that a large storm front was advancing eastward, and while Brisbane is expected to experience the dissipating edges of the storms, conditions should improve by Thursday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of a hotter and wetter summer ahead, raising the probability of natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, severe thunderstorms, flooding, heatwaves, and bushfires, especially from October to April. Andrea Peace, the bureau’s national community information manager, urged residents to prepare for potential severe weather events, emphasizing that “a near-average number of tropical cyclones” could be expected, with a higher severity than usual.