Friday, January 26, 2007 - Abundant low level moisture and a surface trough has blessed SE QLD and NE NSW with several days of storms. Yesterdays storms produced some extremely heavy rain with reports of up to 120mm in under an hour some areas S and SW of Brisbane. Today a tornado was reported to the Bureau of Meteorology which led them to include the threat of tornadoes for a storm they were warning for in their severe thunderstorm warning. The tornado was reported to have been sighted in the Laidley area, west of Brisbane, from a very isolated but intense supercell that moved roughly north through the Lockyer and Brisbane Valley's after initiating near Cunninghams Gap. The series of photos below was taken by Dave Secombe in the area 5-10km SE of Esk up to Toogoolawah, the same storm that produced the tornado in the Laidley area. Unfortunately Dave didn't witness the tornado and at the moment there's no known photos or footage of the tornado.

From Brisbane's Courier Mail this morning, describing the Laidley tornado :

Residents of Laidley, west of Ipswich, reported seeing a funnel-shaped cloud cut a swathe past the town shortly before 5pm, uprooting trees and sending debris flying. Vicki Mahone from the Laidley Hotel said it had put everyone on edge. "We were hammered," Ms Mahone said. "The place looks pretty messy, we've got trees down all over the place. "Every time I tried to close a window it would suck it back open again." While it may have only lasted a few minutes, the clean-up is expected to take days. Paramedics did not report any injuries. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Tony Wedd said an experienced weather observer who lives in the area confirmed that it was a tornado.

Friday and Saturday, January 12-13, 2007 - Two days of scattered storms on and west of the NE NSW and SE QLD ranges and several chasers out and about to capture some of the action. The first two photos below were taken by Ben Quinn at Tenterfield (NE NSW) and Warwick (SE QLD) respectively on Friday. The next 3 from Inglewood on Saturday night, also by Ben Quinn. The next 5 were taken by Jason Rainforest on the central Downs in the Pitsworth - Dalby area.

Monday, January 1, 2007 - Several days of heavy to severe storms through southern inland and western QLD has dumped much needed rain and lifted the level of several major creeks and rivers to the minor flooding classification. Ben Quinn was chasing the area and encountered several severe storms. The series of photos below is of a line of storms which raised dust on the first day of the outbreak. The first photo was taken south of Cunnumulla, the next 6 between Cunnumulla and Charleville and the last from Charleville itself.

Sunday, December 16, 2006 - Another major severe storm outbreak through SE QLD with widespread severe storms leaving a path of destruction. Chase reports are being written and severe weather reports collated but for now a series of photos from Anthony Cornelius (first 4), Andrew McDonald (next 2) and Ben Quinn (last 4). Photos from Anthony and Andrew taken in the northern Downs and southern Burnett in the Oakey and Kingaroy area and photos by Ben taken in the central and northern Wide Bay in the Tiaro and Childers area.

Sunday, December 3, 2006 - Some nice storms throughout SE QLD this afternoon with powerful lightning at times. Heavy rain was also a feature, especially in the southern suburbs where up to 55mm has fallen. The first 2 images below were captured by the Redcliffe Webcam, the next is of lightning striking the Q1 building on the Gold Coast, taken by James Harris from Sydneystormchasers.com, the next by Dave Secombe in the southern suburbs. The next 4 were taken by Ben Quinn - the first from Cambooya on the eastern Darling Downs, the next 2 from Marburg and the next from the western suburbs. The next photo was taken by Marty Pouwelse from the Cunningham Highway SW of Brisbane and the last photo was taken by Jules Just from Biggenden in the Wide Bay and Burnett.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - Very high based and rapidly moving storms developed through NE NSW and SE QLD today. The BoM issued STW's for several storms as they approached the coast and hail up to 3cm was reported from the western suburbs of Brisbane. The following photos were taken in the greater Brisbane area by (in order of appearance) Dave Secombe, Margarette Grubb, Andrew McDonald, Whynot and Kate Lawrence. Also see a great little video clip by Whynot here.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - While some areas completely missed out on todays storms there were still some very strong storms around. A supercell on the northern end of the line that passed through Brisbane early afternoon damaged 54 buildings on the northside according to an ABC news article . Several supercells in the Wide Bay and Burnett produced hail up to cricket ball size! The Gold Coast was also effected by at least one supercell (first two photos below taken by James Chambers at Kingscliff). The next 2 were taken by Marty Pouwelse from Springwood - a very close strike and an amazing effort to capture it during the day! The next photo was taken by Andrew McDonald in the Wide Bay and Burnett, the next by David Findlay in the same area. The next 2 were taken by Marty Pouwelse's partner at Eagle Farm (of the supercell on the northern end of the Brisbane line). The next 2 were taken by Anthony Cornelius in the Wide Bay and Burnett. The last 3 are of the supercell on the northern end of the line that moved through Brisbane, taken from the Bruce Highway just south of Boondall by Ben Quinn.

Monday, November 13, 2006 - Storms developed through much of NE NSW and inland areas of SE QLD this afternoon and continued to develop well into the evening, particulary in the Granite Belt district of SE QLD. Photos below taken by Ben Quinn in the Warwick area.

Wednesday, November 8, 2006 - A major severe storm outbreak in SE Qld today with several storms producing golf ball and larger sized hail. Energex recorded over 4000 lightning strikes through coastal parts of SE QLD during the afternoon and as a result 24 000 people were without power at one stage. The first 2 photos below were taken by Jason Rainforest of a storm approaching the Gold Coast area and the next 4 were taken by Andrew Macdonald in the Esk area - a massive storm which dropped 'gorilla' hail of up to 8.5cm (measured), smashing his windscreen in the process. The next photo by Marty Pouwelse in the Boonah area, the next by Dave Secombe in the Peaks Crossing/Harrisville area and the last 2 by Anthony Cornelius in the same area.

Saturday, November 4, 2006 - Some welcome (and much needed) rain throughout the SE quarter of Queensland over the last couple of days with widespread totals of 25-50mm. Rain areas contracted to coastal areas during Saturday and storms developed inland in the clear air behind the cloudband on the periphery of an upper low. Several chasers out and about and some spectacular photos to show for it. The first 3 photos below were taken by Anthony Cornelius from Downunderchase.com near Kingaroy of a storm that prompted the BoM to issue an severe thunderstorm warning. The next 2 photos were taken by Andrew McDonald in the Biggenden-Goomeri area. The next 2 were taken by David Findlay from Qldstorms.com in the Kingaroy-Dalby area. The last 2 were taken by Jeff Higgins south of Dalby.

Wednesday, September 26, 2006 - A great start to the 2006 storm season today with scattered to widespread storms forming throughout NE NSW and SE QLD. Several storms (or lines of) were severe and Gatton picked up a 91km/h (49 knots) wind gust and recorded 20.4 mm of rain in 12 minutes (102mm/h), 30.4mm in 18 minutes and 31.2mm in 20 minutes. Photos of the first line of storms are below, taken by various people around the greater Brisbane area.