The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that a band of severe thunderstorms could bring destructive winds, giant hail, flash floods, and tornadoes to southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Senior forecaster Angus Hines said the storms, expected to hit on Saturday, pose a high-end severe thunderstorm outbreak.
Large hailstones measuring 5cm to 8cm in diameter fell on parts of Queensland on Friday, with more likely. Hines noted the potential for heavy rainfall leading to flooding and road closures, as well as damaging winds and the possibility of tornadoes, which is uncommon in Australia.
Areas at risk include the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Noosa Heads, and inland regions such as the Burnett, Kingaroy, Gympie, Biloela, Roma, and the Darling Downs including Toowoomba, Dalby, and Warwick. In NSW, Tamworth, Glen Innes, Moree, and coastal communities like Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Ballina, Lismore, and Byron Bay may be affected.
The warning follows a fatal lightning strike on the Sunshine Coast on Thursday, which killed 21-year-old Finley Bone during soccer training at Cooroy. The Bureau's radar crashed as storms struck, drawing criticism after its new website launched on 22 October, three weeks into storm season.
