Queensland’s Relentless Hailstorms Raise New Questions About Extreme Weather
So, let me walk you through what’s been unfolding across south-east Queensland lately, because the region has been through a remarkable — and honestly exhausting — run of wild weather. For at least the sixth time in just a few weeks, huge hailstones have hammered homes, cars, and entire neighbourhoods, leaving many residents wondering whether storms like these are becoming the new normal.
On Monday, some of the most dramatic hail was recorded in Chandler, where stones reached an astonishing 14 centimetres. To put that into perspective, the Bureau of Meteorology classifies anything above 5 centimetres as “giant” hail, so what fell in Brisbane’s south-east wasn’t just severe — it was extraordinary. Other suburbs saw stones around 11 centimetres, still more than enough to punch through roofs and smash windows. Residents in places like Mitchelton were picking up pieces of ice nearly as big as their hands.
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Now, it’s natural to ask whether Queensland is genuinely seeing more hail than usual. BOM meteorologist Shane Kennedy said giant hail has appeared on official warnings 10 times since July, which is considered “unusually active.” Normally, you’d expect about four such warnings by this point in the year. But climate researchers are urging caution. According to UNSW climate scientist Tim Raupach, hail varies dramatically from year to year, and while this season seems busy, it’s still difficult to say definitively whether it’s truly out of the ordinary.
What experts do agree on is that the atmosphere has repeatedly lined up the perfect recipe for hailstorms — moisture, intense surface heating, instability, and powerful updrafts. These updrafts are strong enough not only to keep hail aloft long enough to grow, but also to shape them into the bizarre, spiky forms people have been photographing across the region.
At the same time, the rest of Queensland has been struggling through widespread storm damage and major power outages. More than 100,000 homes were thrown off the grid earlier in the week, and while thousands have since been reconnected, some areas — especially around Bribie Island and the Sunshine Coast — are still waiting. Clean-up efforts have been constantly disrupted as new storms sweep through, with lightning strikes triggering fires, transformers blowing out, and emergency crews forced to pause work during unsafe conditions.
And unfortunately, the wild weather isn’t done yet. More storms are expected, and on top of that, a heatwave is settling in. Temperatures could spike up to 10 degrees above the November average, putting extra strain on communities already dealing with power loss and property damage.
In the long run, scientists warn that climate change is likely to make the atmosphere more unstable, which could mean more storms — and potentially larger hail — although warmer air could also cause some hail to melt before it hits the ground. For now, though, one thing is clear: south-east Queensland is enduring one of its most relentless storm periods in years, and residents are being urged to stay alert, stay cool, and keep safety front of mind.
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