Bureau warns severe thunderstorms across Queensland, NSW
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology warned that severe thunderstorms could bring giant hail, destructive winds and heavy rain to parts of Queensland and New…
The Bureau of Meteorology warned on Tuesday that severe thunderstorms could bring giant hail, destructive winds and heavy rain to parts of Queensland and New South Wales. The alert follows storms that hit parts of Queensland on Monday, with forecasters identifying south-east Queensland and nearby regions as areas at greatest risk.
The bureau said broad parts of eastern Australia could be affected. The most exposed areas include the south-east coast, Darling Downs, Granite Belt, Wide Bay-Burnett and southern parts of the Central Highlands, while the risk also extends to the Border Ranges and far north-east of NSW.
“These storms may produce damaging to destructive winds, large to giant hail and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding,” meteorologist Christie Johnson said.
Conditions could intensify quickly. Stay alert.
When could severe thunderstorms hit?
The greatest risk is expected from late morning through the afternoon, when rising heat could help storms strengthen. Johnson said weather systems moving across Queensland were expected to converge by the afternoon.
“Basically, any storms that develop from now do have the potential to become severe,” she said. Johnson said the convergence was behind the forecast for a significant storm over south-eastern Queensland.
The warning comes less than 24 hours after storms battered areas including Wide Bay-Burnett, Maryborough and Gympie. Hailstones up to 10 centimetres were reported at Glenwood near the Fraser Coast, while hail up to four centimetres was reported in Yarraman near Toowoomba.
More than 50 millimetres of rain fell at Cooroy on the Sunshine Coast in just 30 minutes on Monday afternoon, Johnson said. Heavy rainfall from the new storms could trigger flash flooding, adding a risk on roads as well as damage from hail and wind.
What damage could the storms cause?
Destructive winds of 120km/h were possible, strong enough to bring down trees and powerlines. Those hazards could disrupt travel and electricity in affected communities, while sudden downpours may make some roads unsafe.
Johnson said tornado-like conditions could not be ruled out in a supercell thunderstorm, but described tornadoes as rare. She said damage from destructive winds produced by a supercell was more likely.
“Any supercell thunderstorm does, by definition … have the risk that it could produce tornadoes,” Johnson said. She added that “it’s much more likely that we’ll just get damage from the destructive winds out of the supercell itself.”
Some severe thunderstorm warnings had been cancelled by Tuesday morning, but the bureau said troughs were already moving over parts of Queensland. Warnings may change as storms develop, leaving residents with little notice to respond.
Johnson said thunderstorm warnings are issued at short lead times. The bureau urged people in affected areas to keep checking weather updates as conditions shift during the day.
“Beware of flash flooding and never drive through floodwaters,” Johnson said. The forecast wind gusts of 120km/h could bring down trees and powerlines.
