QLDStorm Chaos: Giant Hailstones Pound South-East Queensland, Leaving Thousands Without Power and Trailing Destruction
- Tennis ball-sized hailstones smash through roofs and windscreens, causing widespread damage and chaos in rural towns
- Thousands left without power as severe thunderstorms rip through south-east Queensland, with warnings of more to come
- Business owners and residents describe scenes of devastation, with crockery shattered and trees stripped bare
Parts of south-east Queensland have been battered by giant hailstones, with the region on high alert for more severe thunderstorm activity. Thousands of people are without power, and the full extent of the damage is still unfolding.
In the small town of Pratten, west of Warwick, the Potter family witnessed the fury of the storm firsthand. Giant hailstones, measuring a staggering nine centimeters in diameter, pummeled their home, causing significant damage to cars and buildings.
At MJ’s Cafe in Allora, the storm turned opening day into a chaotic nightmare. Owner Richard Manley described the roof as being “smashed in” by the hail, with “tennis ball-sized” stones raining down on the town. “We basically had everyone huddled in our kitchen area because the roof came down in the actual bar area,” he said.
In a heartbreaking development, several motorists with smashed windscreens pulled into the cafe seeking shelter. “We had about thirty people who were driving past, their car windows getting smashed and they saw refuge and they just pulled in,” Mr Manley said.
In Clifton, near Toowoomba, Julie Blurton’s cafe was also hit hard, with golf ball-sized hailstones smashing through the skylight and windows. “There’s crockery that’s all been smashed from the hailstones coming in through the roof,” she said.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that the storm activity near Toowoomba could be categorised as a supercell, with senior meteorologist Harry Clarke urging people to keep up with warnings. “It’s a very dangerous storm for that reason alone … it is a very dynamic situation,” he said.
As the storm continues to move through the region, residents are bracing for further damage and disruption. The full extent of the destruction is still being assessed, but one thing is clear: south-east Queensland has been hit hard by this intense storm system.