Powerful thunderstorms have wreaked havoc across parts of southeast Queensland, unleashing damaging winds and heavy rainfall just ahead of forecast extreme heat conditions expected to blanket the region for Australia Day. The severe weather system moved through on Sunday afternoon, triggering official warnings for multiple locations including Toowoomba, Ipswich, and Brisbane.
Storm Damage and Power Outages Reported
Intense wind gusts brought down trees and left numerous homes without electricity as widespread power outages affected the area. Most properties were reconnected by Monday morning, but the storms caused significant disruption. At Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich, scheduled events had to be cancelled, forcing visitors to urgently seek shelter during the dangerous conditions.
Agricultural operations also suffered, with farms at Kobble Creek, northwest of Brisbane, reporting substantial damage. Kobble Creek Lychees posted on social media about storm impact in their packing area, noting they would have much less fruit available than usual as repairs are needed before normal operations can resume.
Meteorological Details of the Storm Event
Meteorologist Livio Regano confirmed wind gusts approaching 90km/h were recorded at Amberley around 8.30pm on Sunday. The storms delivered intense rainfall in a short timeframe, particularly affecting inner western suburbs such as Towong through Mount Coot-tha. Some locations in the inner west and toward Ipswich received between 30mm to 40mm of rain within just one hour.
"The storms formed a band stretching from Ipswich right through to the Brisbane CBD," Regano explained. State Emergency Services responded to 24 callouts related to the weather event, with most jobs involving tarping damaged roofs and removing fallen trees.
Scorching Heatwave Conditions to Follow
As the storm system clears, heatwave conditions are expected to peak on Monday with multiple locations forecast to exceed 40°C. Brisbane and Ipswich are predicted to reach highs of 39°C, while inland areas face even more extreme temperatures.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe heatwave warnings for extensive regions including the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, Channel Country, Maranoa and Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Wide Bay and Burnett, and Southeast Coast districts.
Extended Heatwave Forecast and Affected Areas
Maximum temperatures are increasing to the high 30s and low 40s across the Southeast Coast and Wide Bay and Burnett regions, with inland areas experiencing low to mid 40s. Overnight minimums are expected to remain in the low to high 20s, reaching low 30s in far inland Channel Country locations.
"Severe heatwave conditions will continue and extend through most of southern Queensland and are expected to persist well into this week," the weather bureau stated. Impacted locations likely include Brisbane metropolitan area, Birdsville, Charleville, Dalby, Goondiwindi, Longreach, Roma, Stanthorpe, Thargomindah, and Toowoomba.
Regano noted some relief is anticipated for southeast Queensland, though the southern interior will continue experiencing extreme heat. "The heatwave warning is current now for all over southern Queensland," he said. "It will continue for several more days with temperatures in the high 40s in some instances. But in southeast Queensland there is a bit of a southeast change moving through tomorrow morning, which will cut the top off the temperatures."
Community Safety Advice During Extreme Heat
Residents in heatwave warning areas are advised to stay cool in airconditioned environments at home or in shopping centres. Authorities recommend closing windows and drawing blinds, curtains, or awnings early in the day to prevent heat entering homes. Critical safety reminders include never leaving children or animals in vehicles, even for brief periods, as interior temperatures can become dangerously high rapidly.
The combination of severe thunderstorms followed by prolonged extreme heat presents significant challenges for Queensland communities as they prepare for Australia Day celebrations and activities.
