More than 87,000 Queensland households remain without power after a severe storm brought 110km/h winds and 12cm diameter hail to Brisbane on Monday. Authorities warned that full restoration of the electricity network could take another 24 hours.
An Energy Queensland spokesperson said field crews were working around the clock and had restored power from a peak of 162,000 outages and 900 downed powerlines overnight. More than 300 crews were at work on Tuesday in “horrible, steamy” conditions, while keeping an eye on looming storms.
Queensland SES officials responded to about 2,200 calls by 2.30am, with more than two-thirds for structural issues such as damaged roofs and windows. A majority of calls were in the Brisbane area and surrounding suburbs, with significant damage reported on Bribie Island. There was at least one report of a car being flipped over by the winds.
Energex, the energy supplier for more than 1.4 million customers in south-east Queensland, reported nearly 100,000 outages on Tuesday morning, stretching from the Gold Coast to Gympie. Danny Donald, a media spokesperson for Energex, said many customers in the hardest-hit areas should prepare to be without power for at least a day or two.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Jonathan How said parts of the state saw hail 11 to 12cm in diameter, and Brisbane airport recorded wind gusts of 107km/h. The wild weather was forecast to continue on Tuesday, with thunderstorms expected across large parts of eastern Australia, bringing heavy rainfall, large hail and possible flash flooding.
