Why is giant hail trending in Queensland?
The region is trending due to a series of dangerous storms and a supercell that produced giant hail. These weather events caused widespread power outages and damaged a runway at Brisbane Airport.
What happened
- Earlier
Three people were stranded in floodwaters across the Darling Downs [1].
- 27 Oct, 02:30 UTC
A man was rescued from floodwaters at Ellengowan [1].
- 27 Oct, 04:30 to 05:30 UTC
Hail between three and seven centimetres fell in Mudgeeraba, Ripley, Flinders View, and Yamanto [1].
- 27 Oct, 05:00 UTC
Lightning struck the western runway at Brisbane Airport [2].
What you need to know
Giant hail is defined as ice larger than 5cm in diameter [1].
The storms left over 1,000 homes without electricity [2].
Authorities advise staying out of the ocean during storms due to electricity risks [1].
Motorists are warned not to drive through floodwaters [1].
The total cost of damage to homes, cars, and crops has not been confirmed.
Background
The Bureau of Meteorology issued warnings for several areas, including the Gold Coast, Brisbane City, and Logan, citing risks of flash flooding and destructive winds [1].
The storms were powerful enough to transform suburbs like Redbank Plains and Augustine Heights into white landscapes of ice [2].
Questions people ask
How big was the hail?
Recorded hailstones reached up to seven centimetres in size [1].
Was air travel affected?
Brisbane Airport experienced delays after lightning damaged its western runway [1].
Where this came from
Found through Google Trends and drafted with AI from at least two cited sources. Published automatically after passing our automated checks for sources, wording and safety. It may not have been reviewed by a person yet. Report a correction.