Sunday, March 24, 2013

Severe storms sweep SE Qld - Weekly Times Now


MORE than 13,000 houses remain without power as crews continue emergency repairs across the south east Queensland.


Energex spokesman Nathan Hatch said crews were working hard to repair damage and hope to have power restored to most properties this morning, The Courier-Mail reports.


He warned that some of the 10,000 properties in the hardest-hit parts of Logan and Beaudesert may still be without power later today.


Mr Hatch said 16,000 lightning strikes were recorded across south east Queensland since 3.30pm yesterday.


"It's been quite a significant storm for us," he said.


Mr Hatch said 58,000 power outages were recorded. An average summer storm typically results in 25,000 - 30,000 outages.


According to senior forecaster Ben Annells, there could be more to come.


"Today is still fairly unstable throughout southeast Queensland," he said.


"It doesn't appear as unstable as yesterday but we should expect further showers and gusty thunderstorms.


"Damaging winds are certainly the main concern."


Mr Annells said any storm was likely to come through later this afternoon or tonight and head in a south to north direction.


While the storm activity should ease, Mr Annells said showers are likely to hang around for most of the week.


"We will see isolated showers around tomorrow with an increase tomorrow night," he said.


Wednesday and Thursday are likely to be the wettest days of the week with further storm activity returning for the weekend.


Overnight, it was reported the southeast could be in the firing line again today after a storm yesterday afternoon left one man in a critical condition and damaged homes.


The injured man, believed to be in his 40s, remained in a critical condition last night after he was hit by a tree branch during the Twilight Run at St Lucia.


Emergency crews were called to Sir Fred Schonell Drive at 6.19pm where ambulance officers found the man unconscious at the scene after being hit by a large tree branch.


A reader taken from Highfields, near Toowoomba, yesterday afternoon.


The man suffered serious head injuries and was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital where he remained in a critical condition last night.


Hannah Vermeulen was at a water station behind St Leo's College on Sir William MacGregor Dve when the branch hit the man in front her.


"It took half an hour for the ambulance to get there. A doctor who was running stopped and helped, and another runner who had first aid experience helped too," the 24-year-old from Fortitude Valley said.


Runner Dave Withnall, 37, from Runcorn said the storm hit about an hour into the race.


"I was crossing the Green Bridge and people were supporting themselves with the guard rails to keep themselves upright in the wind," he said.


"There was wind and rain and a bit of hail."


Other shocked competitors were gathered at the University of Queensland running track.


In another incident a 53-year-old woman was taken to hospital after the roof of her home collapsed under the weight of a tree.


Emergency crews were called to the house on Torres St at Loganholme about 6pm to find part of the roof had collapsed.


The woman was not trapped, but suffered cuts to her head.


More than 55,000 homes and businesses in Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast lost power as 220 power lines were torn down.


The storm brought torrential rain and wind gusts reaching nearly 100km/h.


The occupants of a car were reported trapped under live wires at Kuraby but were rescued unharmed.


Five houses in Loganlea, Kingston, Beenleigh and Shailer Park had trees fall on them, emergency services said.


The first of a series of severe storm cells crossed southeast Queensland about 3.30pm, bringing thousands of lightning strikes and heavy rain.


The weather bureau said 45mm was recorded in 30 minutes at Carole Park and 40mm at Brassall in Ipswich.


Jimboomba, Greenbank and Logan Village were among the hardest-hit suburbs in Logan City, where more than 22,000 properties had power cuts.


Forecaster Ben Annells said: "It has been hot, but it was the surface trough - the excess of low pressure - that triggered the severe thunderstorm we saw (yesterday)," Mr Annells said.


Earlier, forecaster Brett Harrison said there remained a heightened risk of more storms for Brisbane today.


Read more at The Courier-Mail .



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