December 28, 2024
Brisbane and parts of Southeast Queensland were treated to a breathtaking display of storms this afternoon and evening! While storm activity initially struggled to develop due to temperatures falling short of forecasts—Brisbane CBD reached 32°C (instead of the forecast 35°C) and Ipswich hit 36°C (2°C shy of its expected 38°C)—the high humidity well and truly made up for it.
At 2pm, Brisbane recorded an apparent temperature of 36°C, thanks to the humidity, while Ipswich saw apparent temperatures nudge towards 40°C.
Development was very late with the cap eventually being broken over the Darling Downs where a combination of high temperatures and elevation helped initiate storm activity. Source: MetCentre
Seabreeze Front Caused Rapid Intensification
That oppressive humidity helped create some incredible storm scenes. A band of high-based storms developed over the Darling Downs, eventually colliding with the approaching seabreeze front just south of Ipswich. This collision triggered rapid intensification, forming a sweeping band of showers and storms across much of the region and producing a dramatic shelf cloud.
Marburg base scan - you can see a discolouration of light to dark blue approaching the storms south of Rosewood - this is the seabreeze front which causes intensification. An outflow boundary then extends out from the storm thanks to the strong winds. Source: MetCentre
The storms brought damaging winds, downing powerlines and leaving more than 10,000 homes without power as the system moved towards sunset.
Below are more stunning photos captured by our team as the storms rolled through.
A Preview of More Stormy Days Ahead
Today marks the start of a series of days with storm potential across Southeast Queensland. However, the likelihood of significant storm activity is expected to decrease early next week as conditions become more cluttered and less conducive to severe development.
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