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Brisbane is in the firing line for the third consecutive weekend, with powerful “supercell” storms forecast for Saturday.
Brisbanites should not be deceived by Wednesday’s blue skies and balmy temperatures, said Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Shane Kennedy, with highly volatile conditions forecast over the next three days.
“We are looking at several unsettled, unstable days to come, with the real peak on Saturday,” Kennedy said.
A photo of Sunday’s storm over Brisbane taken from Coorparoo.Credit: Nigel Owen
“There is a marginal chance of severe storms tomorrow. Most likely they’ll be further south on the Gold Coast and in northern NSW, but they might clip over the border. And, there’s a small chance the western suburbs will be hit again.”
More late storms could enhance the spooky atmosphere for Halloween on Friday night, but make it too wet and dangerous for trick-or-treaters to venture outside.
However, the most severe “supercell” storms are expected to roll in on Saturday, bringing the full suite of unpleasant accessories: gale-force winds, hail the size of golf balls (or larger), heavy rain and flash flooding.
“Yes, we could see some supercell, severe thunderstorms on Saturday,” Kennedy said, adding they could dump giant hail over the region.
Giant hail, he explained, is the kind that is five centimetres in diameter.
Residents could wake to plenty of sunshine on Saturday morning, Kennedy said, but they should not be lulled into a false sense of security.
“It will build up in the late morning and into the afternoon,” Kennedy said. “Most likely [the storms] will form inland and then travel towards the coast during the day.”
A car was crushed by fallen tree in Fig Tree Pocket on Sunday, October 26.Credit: Energex
Conditions could ease a little on Sunday morning, before another round of thunderstorms rolls over the south-east in the afternoon.
“It’s looking pretty similar to the previous two weekends,” Kennedy said.
“It’s probably not clearing off until late next week,” he said.
Brisbane experienced its wettest day on Sunday since ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred drenched the city in March. The airport received 61 millimetres of rain, while 53.8 millimetres fell in the city.
So far this month, Brisbane has received 99.2 millimetres of rain, exceeding the monthly average of 85.8 millimetres.
That comes after Brisbane’s driest September in 38 years, with the city recording just 0.8 millimetres of rain.
This weekend’s severe storms could dump 50 millimetres of rain over parts of Brisbane, although widespread falls of 10 to 20 millimetres are predicted.
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