Severe thunderstorms with the potential to unleash life-threatening flash flooding are pushing across southeast Queensland.

October 27, 2020

A flash flooding warning has been issued as a series of dangerous storms lash southeast Queensland, dumping heavy rain and hailstones from the Darling Downs to the Sunshine Coast.

Beachmere, near Caboolture recorded 80mm of rain in an hour on Tuesday, while 70mm bucketed down on The Upper Lockyer, west of Brisbane, the Bureau of Meteorology reported.

The bureau warns a severe thunderstorm stretches from Caboolture south to Brisbane, Logan and Stradbroke island, with people in the areas urged to seek shelter.

“We’ve got intense rainfall over the Brisbane CBD that may lead to localised flash flooding and we are already seeing some reports of flash flooding,” meteorologist Rosa Hoff said.

“Very damp indeed.”

The thunderstorms are moving east, with Deception Bay waters, Bribie Island, Beenleigh, Cleveland likely to be impacted later in the day.

A heavy rainfall warning has also been issued for people in Redland City, parts of Logan, the Scenic Rim, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane City and Moreton Bay Council Areas.

The bureau warns the intense rainfall could lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.

A severe thunderstorm warning remains current for the southeast coast and parts of the Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett and Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts.

Earlier, areas near Gympie, north of the Sunshine Coast, were pelleted with hail as multiple severe thunderstorms moved from the Toowoomba and South Burnett areas towards the coast.

Almost 50mm of rain fell in an hour at Kalbar in the Scenic Rim.

More than 60mm of rain dumped on Helidon, near Toowoomba, while flash floods inundated some parts of nearby Gatton.

Flash flooding was also recorded at Beachmere.

“Eighty millimetres of rain in an hour is hard to get rid of,” Ms Hoff said.

The storms are forecast to continue into Tuesday evening.