3 months ago
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After cycling through the motions of rain, hail and shine at the weekend, residents across parts of south-east Queensland are bracing for storms and soaring temperatures in the days ahead.
Brisbane residents woke on Sunday to heavy rain before sun broke through and dominated the afternoon.
Severe storms were predicted across the south-east, with suburbs north and south of Brisbane inner-city copping the worst of the activity.
Large hail, heavy rainfall and lightning was recorded between Logan, the Redlands and the Scenic Rim.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How said while the storm was small, about five kilometres wide, it caused extensive damage to cars and properties, particularly around Logan.
“Brisbane pretty much dodged the worst of it,” he said.
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“But down towards the Scenic Rim and with that Logan supercell that moved through, we did see giant hail of eight to nine centimetres.”
The city might not be so lucky as the day and week continues, with a severe heatwave warning in place from Monday, and more storm activity on the way.
The heatwave warning extends across the state, with parts of north and central Queensland set to reach the mid-40s this week.
Brisbane will climb closer to the mid-30s, reaching a top of 36 degrees on Thursday.
How told residents to expect hot days and nights, with the “feels like” temperatures to sit two to three degrees above the recorded peaks.
“We’ve got severe heatwave conditions starting from today all the way from the Sunshine Coast down to the New South Wales border,” How said.
“We’re looking at maximum temperatures up to 10 degrees above average inland, and then along the south-east coast, about six degrees above average for this time of year.
“As of 10 o’clock this morning, the ‘feels like’ temperature in Brisbane was 36 degrees already, just because it is so humid.”
The humidity is set to bring another round of thunderstorms to the south-east, predicted to impact regions from the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay.
“We’re in that pattern of very hot and unsettled conditions,” How said.
“Again we could see giant hail and damaging winds, and pockets of heavy rainfall … but will be hit and miss, so not everyone will see a storm right overhead.”
Heatwave warnings have been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology and Queensland Health, with both urging residents to keep cool, stay hydrated and avoid strenuous activity.
It comes after a round of severe storms, followed by record-breaking temperatures, in late October led to the Queensland Ambulance Service clocking its busiest day on record.
Monday, October 27, was the hottest October day in 21 years, peaking at 38.7 degrees in Brisbane in the early afternoon.
By the day’s end, the QAS had received 4650 triple zero calls for assistance, up from an average of 3600.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls described the day as “like walking into a furnace”.
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