Sign millions of Aussies set to swelter

A wild storm has whipped up a twister on the Brisbane River. Picture: X
A wild storm has whipped up a twister on the Brisbane River. Picture: X

Summer temperatures may have arrived early for some Aussies, who are set to swelter through maximums of up to 40C in a weekend of wild, unpredictable weather all over the country.

Temperatures in Alice Springs, in the NT, could peak up to 41C on Sunday as the country edges closer to the start of the summer months.

It comes amid a warning of “elevated” fire danger in South Australia and storms over Queensland on Saturday, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of severe thunderstorms which could bring “large hailstones and damaging winds”.

Just a day before, a freak twister was ripped up on the Brisbane River as the city experienced dangerous winds and heavy rain about 4pm local time on Friday.

Temperatures are set to soar across the country over Sunday, while parts of Queensland continue to brace for severe thunderstorms. Picture: Supplied / BSCH
Temperatures are set to soar across the country over Sunday, while parts of Queensland continue to brace for severe thunderstorms. Picture: Supplied / BSCH

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast maximum temperatures of up to 32C over Sunday, with winds of up to 20-30kmh tending north/northwesterly in the middle of the day.

In Brisbane, the mercury will rise to highs of 28C - but showers are expected to roll through in the morning.

Victoria is forecast to experience maximums of 23C but the BOM has warned of “damaging winds” possible in the outer northern suburbs in the morning.

Parts of central Queensland on Saturday were warned to brace for thunderstorms in the “moist, unstable regions along a trough”.

The warning covered the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Wide Bay and Burnett, Maranoa and Warrego and Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts.

“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce large hailstones and damaging winds in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Roma, Taroom, Rolleston and Miles,” the BOM’s warning states.

The severe thunderstorm warning covered the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Wide Bay and Burnett, Maranoa and Warrego and Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts. Picture: Supplied / BOM
The severe thunderstorm warning covered the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Wide Bay and Burnett, Maranoa and Warrego and Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts. Picture: Supplied / BOM

Deputy police commissioner Shane Chelepy said Queensland was the most disaster prone state in Australia and people needed to be prepared the season ahead.

“Over the last couple of weeks, we have started to see these severe storms move right across the South East Queensland,” he said.

“While we’re seeing severe storms in the south, we know that as the season moves forward, we’re likely to see severe flooding or cyclones within Queensland.

“You need to understand the risk where you live, and if you are in the far north, you are more susceptible to cyclone and flooding.”

Freak twister on the Brisbane River as wild weather tore through the city on Friday. Photo: Hayden Oakley
Freak twister on the Brisbane River as wild weather tore through the city on Friday. Photo: Hayden Oakley

On Friday, a “very dangerous thunderstorm” tore through the centre of Brisbane, whipping up a freak twister on the river.

The mini-tornado – or a gustnado – could be seen on the Brisbane River at Kangaroo Point.

Ten meteorologist Josh Holt said the gustnado was not a tornado, but an intense vortex at the front of a thunderstorm.

“They usually last for a very, very short period of time but can produce very strong winds indeed,” he said.

“It’s just luck that it formed on the Brisbane river because if that moved over home or the tops of buildings, that could have caused extensive damage.”

BOM issued a weather warning telling residents to expect giant-sized hail and damaging winds.

BOM metrologist Shane Kennedy said the very dangerous storm started near Boonah in the southeast about 2pm then headed into Brisbane later in the afternoon.

He said while the storm had dropped off, it intensified again as it moved across Brisbane about 4pm and dropped quite a bit of large sized more than 3 to 4cm and giant sized more than 5cm hail in the city and northern parts of the area.

Mr Kennedy said while all storms were a little bit different a classic supercell that swept through Brisbane on Friday could produce phenomenal winds, heavy rainfall and hail.

“But this didn’t have a whole lot of rain or wind with, it was mainly just hail,” he said.

Supplied Editorial Golf ball sized hail stones from Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Photo\n supplied by Higgins Storm Chasing/Sarah.
Golf ball sized hail stones from Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Photo supplied by Higgins Storm Chasing/Sarah.

A Queensland Ambulance spokesperson said one person was taken to the Mater Hospital after a tree branch reportedly fell on them at River Terrace in Brisbane about 4.04pm.

A State Emergency Services spokesperson said they had 10 call-outs during the storm, that all reported hail damage in the Brisbane area on Friday

Residents captured a mini-tornado tearing through the Brisbane River as the thunderstorm moved along the southeast coast towards Noosa.

QUEENSLAND HAIL STORM
A very dangerous storm dropped giant sized hail across Brisbane on Friday. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard
QUEENSLAND HAIL STORM
A supercell swept across southeast QLD on Friday. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard
QUEENSLAND HAIL STORM
A dangerous storm moved through south east Queensland bringing destructive winds and large hail. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Hail as big as 6cm was recorded in Boonah, and 8cm sized hail was recorded in Cannon Creek in southeast Queensland as the storm moved towards Logan in Brisbane’s south.

The storms are affecting parts of the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Brisbane, Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and the Wide Bay and Burnett.