Brisbane weather update: Tens of thousands without power as wild storm lashes South-East Queensland

Tens of thousands remain without power after a severe storm lashed Brisbane and other parts of South-East Queensland, with wind gusts reaching more than 95km/h.

On Sunday evening, more than 60,000 homes were in the dark, but as of 5am Monday, that number has been halved to 30,000 as crews worked tirelessly throughout the night.

“This afternoon’s storms have caused significant damage to critical infrastructure on our network and there are wires down right across the greater Brisbane region,” Energex said in a social media post.

“We have almost 70 crews out working overnight to restore power and more will be brought on as they become available.”

Lightning halted play during the rugby league Pacific Cup Men’s match between Samoa and Tonga in Brisbane, with spectators moved to shelter as the storm hit.

Residents posted footage of intense hail falling and lightning strikes across Brisbane, Toowoomba and Ipswich, with many reporting damaged properties.

The storms extended across much of the southeast of Queensland, including the southeast coast, the Darling Downs and the Wide Bay and Burnett area.

South-East Queensland rain forecast

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Miriam Bradbury said while the destructive storm had a “very heavy impact”, it “obligingly moved offshore in the evening”.

She warned that storms are once again possible across the South-East on Monday, but the risk has significantly reduced.

“We’ll be watching it closely and will issue warnings if needed, but it’s looking less than a risk,” Ms Bradbury told The Nightly.

The concern for people in Brisbane will now turn to the heat. The city could reach as high as 37 degrees on Monday.

Damp conditions are expected to linger along much of eastern Queensland this week as a low-pressure trough continues to draw in moisture against the coast. Tuesday is likely to be the wettest day.

Victoria weather warning

Storms were also forecast through Victoria and southern NSW on Sunday as a deep low-pressure system rotated clockwise ot the south of Australia.

Residents were warned heavy rain could bring flash flooding, large hailstorms and dangerous driving conditions, Ms Bradbury said on Sunday.

“We are going to see a severe storm potential through Sunday afternoon and evening across the central parts of Victoria, including much of the greater Melbourne area, pushing up across much of the Riverina of NSW as well,” she said.

Asthma alert Victoria

The Victorian chief health officer warned there was an increased chance of epidemic thunderstorm asthma across the state’s northern country region.

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma is where a large number of people suddenly develop asthma symptoms over a short period and is thought to be triggered by a combination of high pollen levels and a certain type of thunderstorm.

In November 2016, Melbourne experienced the world’s largest epidemic thunderstorm asthma event, overwhelming emergency services and leading to 10 deaths.

Among those affected were people with seasonal hay fever who had never had asthma.

Asthma sufferers are urged to carry their reliever puffers with them at all times.

- With AAP