Queensland storms

ABOUT 470 homes and businesses remain without power in Brisbane's western suburbs and areas of Pine Mountain, Rosewood and the Fassifern Valley, near Ipswich this morning after severe storms lashed the southeast with hail, strong winds and flash flooding yesterday.
More than 50,000 homes and businesses in southeast Queensland had their power restored overnight.
Energex said lightning was the main cause of power interruptions, with more than 27,000 lightning strikes recorded between midday and 7pm yesterday.
Strong winds of around 80km/hr and heavy rain also affected parts of the power network.
About 150 Energex crews worked to restore power to about 40,000 customers by 9.30pm last night, with Ipswich city, the Lockyer Valley, Moreton Bay and Brisbane’s northern regions being the worst hit areas.
Storms struck the region from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast and west to Toowoomba, including Beaudesert, Mt Tamborine, Kingaroy, Ipswich and Esk, although the southeast experienced the greatest thrashing.
A Department of Community Safety spokeswoman said the State Emergency Service received more than 130 calls for assistance with downed trees, sandbagging and damaged roofs from 1pm to 8pm.
A rescue took place in Alexandria Street, Bowen Hills, after emergency services were called with reports of two people trapped by flash flooding.
The men had seen a car with its hazard lights on and were attempting to check to see if anyone was inside when the floods struck.
"We did go out to a rescue where people were in trouble in a submerged car," she said.
"They were brought to safety and there were no injuries."
Police divers were sent in overnight on Widdop Street, on the border of Hendra and Nundah, to check if anyone was in two cars that were caught in flash flooding near the Toombul Shopping Centre.
Police said the water was up to the car windows by about 9pm, but no one was found inside the vehicles.
Once the water receded, the cars were towed.
A police spokesman said roadwork’s near the area often contributed to the flooding.
“It normally goes under because of the river that runs along there, but nowadays it’s the roadworks,” he said.
In Macgregor, a motorist was taken to hospital after a tree came down on a car at the corner of Mains Rd and Kessels Rd, with emergency services using a chainsaw to remove it from the windshield.
But the spokeswoman said there had been no reports of major damage or injuries.
"There's been no deaths or drownings that I've been notified of," she said.
Police said flash flooding occurred at Fortitude Valley, Bowen Hills, Spring Hill, Tarragindi, Durack and Acacia Ridge, causing commuter chaos.
The Inner-City Bypass tunnel at Breakfast Creek was closed to traffic in both directions due to flooding, while motorists experienced major delays on the Centenary Highway and Gateway Motorway.
The train system in the southeast was also heavily affected when localised flooding shut down inner city stations and cut lines throughout the network. All services in and out of the city were cancelled, with TransLink recording delays of up to three hours.
At Brisbane Airport, planes were turned back and flights disrupted when the tarmac was closed numerous times, affecting more than 1000 passengers.
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded winds of up to 90km/h and up to 100mm of rain in some parts of the southeast.
The heaviest rainfall was registered at Wacol where 98mm fell in an hour 70mm of that within 30 minutes.
Since 9am yesterday, Wacol received 138mm of rain.
Mitchelton received 99mm with Everton Hills receiving 95mm and Alderley receiving 96mm.
The City received about 30mm.
About 27,000 lightning strikes between noon and 7pm brought down powerlines.
Up to 55,000 homes in the southeast and more than 10,000 in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley were left without power.
But the rain brought some relief as the temperature dropped from 35C to just 22C.
Bureau of Meteorology senior Forecaster Bryan Rolstone said showers will continue throughout the week, but will decrease by Friday.
He said more hot days, reaching into the low 30s, could be expected by mid next week.
In Rockhampton, lightning strikes in The Range hit three buildings including the Rockhampton Grammar School, Cathedral College and McAuley Place Hostel, which suffered significant damage to its roof.
Further west, lightning strikes started multiple grass fires.