A massive supercell storm is barreling across Australia's east coast, with south-east Queensland bearing the brunt as forecasts for the capital are released until Christmas.
On Thursday evening there were warnings from the Gold Coast to White Bay of severe and potentially life-threatening storms, large hail and heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding.
The worst affected areas are expected to receive 120 to 200 millimeters of rain in the coming hours.
Emergency services have urged residents of the affected areas to stay indoors, not drive unless necessary and to close doors and windows.
The situation is so serious that the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued warnings from Queensland's central coast to the Darling Downs farming region in the southern part of the state, west of the Great Dividing Range.
A massive supercell storm is hitting Australia's east coast, taking the brunt of southeastern Queensland. A woman is pictured running in the rain in Cairns
Brisbane and surrounding areas have been hit by thunder and lightning, which is expected to intensify in the coming hours, which BOM says is a once-in-a-decade event.
An agency spokesman said the system would hit the city with at least 70mm within an hour.
“The biggest threat right now is that it moves incredibly slowly and stays in one place for quite a long time,” he told the newspaper. Courier mail.
'With this category of rainfall that the Bureau has forecast, it means that in any given year there is a two percent chance that we will see something like this.
'It could mean the city will receive 70mm per hour, and people should watch the rivers for flash flooding in the coming hours, especially in the metropolitan regions.'
After battering the state capital through the night, the system will move north towards the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay.
Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Redland City, Toowoomba, Somerset, Scenic Rim, Gympie and South Burnett are the areas expected to be hardest hit by the storm.
There is also a separate thunderstorm warning in effect Warwick, Stanthorpe, Pittsworth, Chinchilla, Miles and Tara.
The thunderstorms are also likely to bring damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding in parts of the Central Highlands, Coalfields and Central West districts, including Elgin Downs and Alpha.
On Thursday evening there were warnings from the Gold Coast to White Bay of severe and potentially life-threatening storms, large hail and heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding. Weather map shown
A BOM spokesperson said the weather system will hit Brisbane with at least 70mm within the hour. A father and son walk in the rain
The latest bad weather to hit the sunny state comes as Far North Queensland continues to clear flooding caused by ex-tropical Cyclone Jasper.
The weather pattern in the southeastern United States could last as long as 48 hourswith more rain and storms possible over the weekend and Christmas Day on Monday.
This has already led to old Petrie Town north of Brisbane canceling its Christmas night markets due to the forecast.
“The possibility of these severe thunderstorms remains across large parts of central and southern Queensland and south-east Queensland into early next week,” senior meteorologist Daniel Hayes said.