Australia is facing a new episode of severe weather. Huge hailstones fell in Queensland, and over 95,000 homes were left without electricity on Tuesday after a violent storm crossed the east coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported hailstones up to 14 cm in Brisbane, fallen overnight, damaging cars, solar panels, and roofs, writes Reuters.
The storm also brought winds of up to 100 km/h. Over 800,000 lightning strikes occurred, knocking down high-voltage power lines, according to the energy distributor Energex.
Meteorologists warn that severe storms are still possible in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales, due to high humidity and very high temperatures.
„We still expect severe storms today, mostly in the southeast,” meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said on ABC. She noted that the situation is very similar to the previous day, although the intensity of the storm could be „slightly reduced,” which would reduce the risk of giant hailstones.
On social media, residents posted images of impressive hailstones. „I have never seen such large hail here,” wrote a Reddit user, showing a piece of 10 cm in diameter and 188.8 grams.
The Bureau of Meteorology also issued a heatwave warning for northern Queensland, where temperatures could exceed 40°C.