Severe thunderstorms have lashed parts of south-east Queensland, bringing giant hailstones, lightning, and damaging winds. The Bureau of Meteorology has urged residents to remain alert for further activity as storms continue into Sunday.
Nine people have been injured by hail, with a woman in her 30s taken to hospital in a stable condition after sustaining head and neck injuries near Esk. Eight others were assessed for minor hail-related injuries, including a man in his 20s and two women in their 20s and 30s.
Hailstones up to 9 centimetres fell in Pratten, causing significant damage to cars and homes. At MJ's Cafe in Pratten, owner Richard Manley described the scene as chaotic when tennis ball-sized hail smashed through the roof. “We basically had everyone huddled in our kitchen area because the roof came down,” he said. In Clifton, golf ball-sized hail shattered skylights and windows at a cafe, with owner Julie Blurton reporting smashed crockery and stripped trees.
A wind gust of more than 100 kph was recorded at Dalby Airport. The Bureau of Meteorology said the storm near Toowoomba was a supercell, producing giant hail across the Darling Downs. Lightning was reported from Strathpine to the New South Wales border.
More than 6,000 residents were without power as of Saturday evening, with Toowoomba, Brisbane, and the Western Downs most affected. The bureau warned of an increased risk of flash flooding due to heavy rainfall overnight, with storms expected to move north into Sunday.
