Severe Weather System Wreaks Havoc in South-East Queensland

A violent weather system struck parts of south-east Queensland, including Moreton Bay, Morayfield, and the Gold Coast, causing significant disruption on Wednesday night. Heavy rain, strong winds, and hailstorms damaged buildings and flooded streets, leaving ice blanketing some areas overnight.

At the Red Dragon Martial Arts School in Morayfield, instructor Arryn Cox heroically shielded a young student from a collapsing roof as tiles began to fall. Cox recalled, “The tiles started coming down on her. I was able to get to her just in time and I just had to shield her.” The school estimates repair costs could range from $1000 to $50,000.

In nearby areas, a Woolworths store experienced roof damage, allowing rain to cascade over the checkout area. Similarly, the entrance of Eureka Furniture crumbled, scattering debris, while the AMX Superstores was flooded. Steve Douglas from AMX Superstores remarked, “We’ve never seen anything like that around here before. We’ve seen plenty of heavy storm activity before but the ice I think was the contributing factor.”

Despite only four millimeters of rain falling in Morayfield, other areas like the Gold Coast received over 170 millimeters, leading to flash flooding. Fitness Cartel’s car park was heavily impacted by the ice, which Bek Crook described as resembling ice fields, saying “We did have a few people in the bottom car park that did get snowed in, so we did have to wrestle and dig ourselves out.”

The Bureau of Meteorology faced criticism from local officials, including Moreton Bay Council and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, for not adequately warning residents of the storm’s severity. Mayor Tate criticized the bureau, stating, “Last year all over again. The BoM gives you the alert that it’s going to rain, you’re already soaked.”

Bureau meteorologist Steve Hadley acknowledged the unpredictability of severe storms, explaining, “We target information in the lead up to suspected severe thunderstorm outbreaks.” The Bureau is forecasting additional thunderstorms for South-East Queensland, particularly affecting central and north-eastern regions.