More than 87,000 Queensland households remain without power after a severe storm brought 110km/h winds and 12cm hail, with authorities warning full restoration could take another 24 hours. A dozen public schools were closed on Tuesday as crews worked to restore hundreds of downed powerlines.
An Energy Queensland spokesperson said field crews had restored the network from a peak of 162,000 outages and 900 downed powerlines overnight. More than 300 crews were working in “horrible, steamy” conditions on Tuesday, while monitoring looming storms. “We are setting expectations that this has been a very large event … we are saying it will go into late tomorrow, Wednesday, to get this all restored,” he said.
Queensland SES officials responded to about 2,200 calls by 2.30am, more than two-thirds for structural issues including damaged roofs and windows. A majority of calls were in Brisbane and surrounding suburbs, with significant damage on Bribie Island. There was at least one report of a car flipped by winds, and many properties sustained damage from hail or fallen trees. “It’s just an absolute mess,” said Heather, a Bribie Island resident.
Energex reported nearly 100,000 outages on Tuesday morning, stretching from the Gold Coast to Gympie. Spokesperson Danny Donald said winds were the biggest contributor, with debris flying over the network. He warned customers in worst-hit areas, including the Moreton Bay region, could be without power for a day or two.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported hail 11-12cm in diameter in some Brisbane suburbs and wind gusts of 107km/h at Brisbane airport. Forecaster Jonathan How said thunderstorms were expected to continue across eastern Australia, bringing heavy rain, large hail and possible flash flooding. The state also faces a hot week, with temperatures up to 10C above average.
