‘Cricket-ball sized hail’ hammers areas west of Brisbane as severe storms sweep through

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Severe storms have lashed areas west of Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon, with “cricket-ball sized” hailstones reported near Toowoomba. Two “very dangerous” severe storm cells swept across inland areas of the south-east as a third patch of wild weather crossed the New South Wales border and reached Stanthorpe.

Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26, Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26 pictures, Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26 videos
Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26. via Instagram

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warned that “golf to cricket-ball sized hail” between four and seven centimetres in size had been reported west of Toowoomba, with damaging winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and more large hailstones likely.

Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26, Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26 pictures, Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26 videos
Huge hailstorms hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26. via Instagram

A BoM spokeswoman said wind gusts of 60-70 kilometres per hour had been recorded in the Darling Downs and 33 millimetres of rain had fallen at Upper Bracker Creek. She added that there was the potential for the severe weather to reach Brisbane, but by 4.15pm the storms were still more than 100 kilometres away from the capital.

Severe thunderstorms were likely to produce damaging winds, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and large to very large hailstones over the next several hours. Areas which could be affected include Warwick, Toowoomba, Dalby, Kingaroy, Stanthorpe, Cherbourg, Oakey, Inglewood, Clifton, Pittsworth, Jondaryan and Yarraman.

Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26, Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26 pictures, Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26 videos
Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on December 26, 2017. via Instagram

Severe thunderstorms were also likely to produce damaging winds and large hailstones over the next several hours. Areas which could be affected include Roma, Charleville, St George, Mitchell, Taroom, Tambo, Rolleston, Springsure, Goondiwindi, Injune, Theodore and Carnarvon National Park.

Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26, Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26 pictures, Huge hailstones hit Brisbane in Queensland on Dec 26 videos
Pretty amazing size, no? via Instagram

Looking further inland, a wind gust of 111 kilometres per hour was recorded at St George, about 500 kilometres west of Brisbane.

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Toby Crockford, BrisbaneTimes

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