Colossal Hailstorm Pummels Queensland, Leaving Thousands Without Power

A fierce spring storm struck Australia's Queensland, unleashing giant hailstones and causing power outages for over 95,000 homes. Hail as large as 14 cm hit Brisbane, damaging properties and infrastructure. The weather also generated strong winds and lightning strikes, with more severe storms forecasted.

A massive hailstorm rampaged through Queensland, Australia, leaving over 95,000 homes powerless on Tuesday. The storm, striking the country's east coast, brought hailstones as large as 14 cm, causing significant damage to cars and rooftops, reported the Bureau of Meteorology.

Accompanying the hail, winds reached speeds of up to 100 kph, and over 800,000 lightning strikes were recorded, further exacerbating the power outages, according to energy distributor Energex. The Bureau predicted further severe weather conditions for south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales as high humidity levels persisted.

Senior Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury noted that severe storms were expected to continue, albeit less intense than Tuesday's outburst, somewhat reducing the risk of giant hail. An extreme heatwave warning was issued for northern Queensland, anticipating temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.

(With inputs from agencies.)