Queensland Braces for More Thunderstorms as Heatwave Conditions Reach Crisis Point
- Thousands left without power as severe thunderstorms smash the state for the third day in a row
- Wind gusts of up to 109km/h and hail wreak havoc on homes and businesses, with roofs torn off in Warwick
- Temperatures to soar to 36C in Brisbane, Ipswich and Rockhampton, with heatwave conditions to intensify over the weekend
- Residents warned to stay cool, stay indoors and stay hydrated as heat stress becomes a major concern
Panic is setting in across Queensland as severe thunderstorms continue to batter the state for the third day in a row, leaving a trail of destruction and chaos in their wake. The latest onslaught brought wind gusts of up to 109km/h, hail and intense rainfall, causing widespread power outages and property damage.
The SES has been inundated with calls for help, with at least 240 requests for assistance in the Warwick area alone, where multiple roofs were reportedly torn off. The damage is so severe that Energex has warned residents to exercise extreme caution when cleaning up storm debris, as fallen powerlines may be hidden underneath and could be live.
Senior meteorologist Mirium Bradbury has issued a stark warning, saying that Queenslanders haven’t seen the end of the storm outbreaks, with more expected on Thursday. “We are looking at thunderstorms once again across parts of Queensland and Northeast NSW,” she said. “We are expecting a storm risk across most areas, including the north, inland and eastern parts of the state.”
Bradbury also warned that severe storms are most likely to bring heavy rainfall, leading to flash flooding. “Those storms are most likely through late morning going into the afternoon, possibly continuing into the evening for parts of Queensland,” she said. “And if we do see those storms becoming severe, we will of course issue the severe thunderstorm warnings for those areas.”
But it’s not just the storms that are causing concern – the heatwave conditions are also expected to intensify over the weekend, with temperatures soaring to 36C in Brisbane, Ipswich and Rockhampton. “We are looking at very warm conditions still persisting through much of Western, northern and Eastern Australia,” Bradbury said.
Residents are being warned to take precautions to avoid heat stress, with Bradbury saying that the string of hot days and nights “is going to be difficult to manage the heat and to manage heat stress on your body”. “Unfortunately, this heat is still going to linger through Friday and even into the early part of the weekend,” she said.