A severe storm has hit Brisbane, leaving up to 18,000 homes without power and flooding the Pacific Motorway in the CBD
A severe storm has hit Brisbane, leaving up to 18,000 homes without power and flooding the Pacific Motorway in the CBD
A severe storm has hit Brisbane, leaving up to 18,000 homes without power and flooding the Pacific Motorway in the CBD.

Greenbank, south of Brisbane, recorded 73mm in the 30 minutes to 5pm while Michelton recorded 61mm in half an hour.

'These thunderstorms are moving towards the north to northeast,' the Bureau of Meteorology said about the severe storm hitting Brisbane.

'They are forecast to affect Narangba, Burpengary and Beachmere by 6.20pm and Caboolture, Wamuran and Beerburrum by 6:50pm.'



Greenback, The Gap, Everton Hills and Kenmore are regions most affected by the wild weather.

Wacol Railway Station in Brisbane's south-west was hit by flash flooding, impacting motorists and trains on Ferny Grove line in Brisbane were suspended.

Southeast Queensland SES said it received 85 calls for assistance relating to fallen trees and flash flooding, nearly half of which came from around Ipswich.

There were about 100,000 lighting strikes during the storm, and trees reportedly fell on train lines, vehicles and houses.

Residents of Somerset Council were warned by the Bureau of Meteorology of severe thunderstorms near Toogoolawah.

BOM said the area would likely see 'damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding.'

A huge cyclone affects Far North Queensland with torrential rain and high winds already causing flooding and leaving 40,000 homes without power.

The Bureau warned that Cyclone Niran is going to get more vicious over the next two days.

With winds at 95km/h on Tuesday night, the cyclone is at category two and a forecast map shows it is expected to develop into category three by Thursday 7am.

'It is a category two system and it is expected to intensify into a category three system tomorrow,' senior meteorologist Laura Boekel said.

Ms Boekel said the cyclone was causing high winds, rainfall and abnormally high tides and she expected the cyclone would move off the coastline on Thursday.

'That's when we'll start to see impacts easing for residents in Queensland.'

An emergency warning has also been issued for Palm Island residents by the Queensland Government's Local Disaster Management Group.

The region is impacted by heavy rain and gale force winds, and residents are advised to cancel travel, secure their premises, find a safe place to shelter and stay at home.

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