Destructive SEQ storms, 5cm hail leave thousands without power

Thousands of homes were left without power across south-east Queensland after thunderstorms – including five-centimetre hail – wreaked havoc across parts of the region on Saturday.

As of 9.45pm, 4826 homes were affected by power outages. Most were in the Gold Coast, Logan and Moreton Bay council areas, but many were on the Sunshine Coast and in Somerset, Gympie and the Scenic Rim, with a few in Brisbane. More information can be found on the Energex website’s Outage Finder.

By 8am on Sunday, power had been restored to all but 94 customers, with almost half in Currumbin Valley.

The Bureau of Meteorology had advised of a “high chance” of showers on Saturday afternoon and evening, as well as severe storms across large parts of the south-east.

The bureau reported that 5-centimetre hail was recorded at Samford, north-west of Brisbane, about 4.35pm, and Caboolture, north of the capital, about 5.15pm.

“At 5.50pm, thunderstorms were detected on the weather radar near Cleveland, Caloundra, Comboyuro Point, the area south-west of Noosa Heads, Marburg, the NSW border, Somerset Dam and Little Nerang Dam,” the bureau said in an update.

“They are forecast to affect Noosa Heads, the area west of Noosa Heads and the area north-west of Noosa Heads by 6.05pm, and Maroochydore, waters off Noosa Heads and the area north of Noosa Heads by 6.20pm.”

Energex said it was working to fix the power outages in the affected areas.

“Our crews will respond when conditions are safe, but we won’t be able to give accurate restoration timeframes until any damage can be assessed. Our online Outage Finder will be updated when we know more,” the company wrote on Facebook.

“Always stay well clear of fallen powerlines and report them to emergency services on 000, or call our 24/7 Faults Team on 13 19 62.”

The initial warning area extended from the NSW border between the coast and Granite Belt, and across the Scenic Rim, Ipswich, and Brisbane to Kilcoy.

A separate severe storm warning was issued about 3.30pm for south of Boonah.

“A very dangerous thunderstorm, likely to produce large, possibly giant, hailstones and damaging, locally destructive, winds was detected near Rathdowney, Laravale and Kooralbyn,” the earlier warning stated.

Senior forecaster Baden Gilbert said the risk of storms throughout Saturday afternoon and evening extended from the coast, west to Toowoomba, and as far north as Rainbow Beach.

He said the area with the greatest risk was the south-east interior, from places such as Boonah and Beaudesert in the Scenic Rim, up through the Lockyer Valley, including areas around Ipswich, and into Kilcoy and Esk.

“There is also a risk in that area of getting some very dangerous thunderstorms, so storms that have either destructive wind gusts or giant hail are not impossible,” Gilbert said.

The unsettled conditions were the result of a trough extending across the state’s southern interior.

The trough was due to move off the coast by Sunday, with the forecast also noting the potential for thunderstorms along the coastal fringe in the early morning.

Beyond this, Gilbert said the region was in for quite a dry week. After a warmer day on Saturday, he said things would cool down on Sunday but “ramp up” by week’s end.

“We could be getting, on Thursday next week, 35 [degrees] in the city; 39 out in Ipswich,” he said.

With Cameron Atfield

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.