Hail creates snowscapes as severe thunderstorms batter NSW and Queensland

Damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hailstones have battered parts of north-east New South Wales and south-east Queensland, as authorities warn a large storm front could cause flash flooding.

In NSW, large hail fell in the town of Tamworth in the afternoon, building up to cover the streets in white.

Tamworth NSW 3pm today. #climatechange #hailstorm pic.twitter.com/E347UzUcvN

— 💧Rosemary Nankivell (@nocsg) October 28, 2020

Rosemary Nankivell, a farmer who was driving through Tamworth’s suburbs after the height of its storm activity on Wednesday afternoon, said it looked like it had snowed.

“Amazing,” Nankivell told Guardian Australia. “I have never seen this before and I am 63.”

In Queensland, hail fell in Toowoomba, and thunderstorms moved over Brisbane and the Gold Coast on Wednesday afternoon, with at least 5,000 houses in the affected region without power.

While the Bureau of Meteorology issued a further warning for a thunderstorm moving towards Ipswich about 6pm, the authority predicted regional areas of NSW, including Lismore, Armidale and Mudgee could expect deteriorating conditions on Wednesday night.

This afternoon's angry storm front rolling over Dulong near Nambour. A warning remains in place for the Sunshine Coast with damaging winds, hail and heavy rain likely to hit the Caloundra and Noosa area. Credit: Phillip Johnson. https://t.co/VZ3A1cpmr5 #qldweather #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/luRPrNwOI1

— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) October 28, 2020

Bureau meteorologist Dan Narramore said the town of Tiaro, north of the Sunshine Coast, received 51mm of rain in an hour, with 22mm falling in five minutes.

Further north, Narramore also said Cedar Vale, near Bundaberg, recorded 65 mm of rain in an hour on Wednesday, which was “ almost a month’s worth of rain in an hour”.

However, Narramore said the storms had not been “fast-moving” meaning warnings of life-threatening flash flooding in Queensland did not eventuate.

It's another evening of wild #weather for parts of the east, with #thunderstorms & #rain across hundreds of kilometres. There are lines stretching down much of the #Queensland & #NSW coast & Severe Thunderstorm #Warnings currently in place for both states https://t.co/YhVre6puBj pic.twitter.com/a4TJeITykh

— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) October 28, 2020

In NSW, BoM meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse said “most of the state is going to be expecting some thunderstorm activity”, with the exception of the southern half of the coast.

Rain forecast throughout parts of the mid-north coast and the Hunter, as well as Sydney and the Illawarra, was expected to continue into Thursday morning.

“As we move into Friday we’ll see another system that’s going to enter the west of the state – and that’s going to bring renewed thunderstorm activity, particularly across the southern inland on Friday and then across much of the state on Saturday,” Woodhouse said.

Wednesday’s weather follows two low pressure systems merging on Friday which have since brought rainfalls, winds, and damaged crops across NSW.

- with Australian Associated Press