Severe thunderstorms forecast for Queensland and New South Wales through Monday

The Bureau of Meteorology said widespread rain fell on Saturday, with 30 mm recorded in the Central Interior and northwest of Queensland and some locations exceeding 50 mm. Meteorologist Robert Urbaniak noted that storms began in the far southwest and southern interior, moved eastward on Saturday afternoon and continued into Sunday morning. A severe-storm warning was issued for Zeta, west of Longreach, which received 52 mm of rain in under two hours, described as "close to being severe for that location, but not quite."

Urbaniak warned that heavy rain, winds over 90 km/h and hail are likely southeast of Longreach, including Charleville, Emerald, Toowoomba, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with the greatest risk between 3 pm and 5 pm on Sunday. He said isolated rainfall could exceed 30 mm and some areas might see over 50 mm.

Queensland Police urged residents to monitor the Bureau’s updates and follow safety advice, such as securing outdoor items, closing windows and keeping phones charged. The State Emergency Service logged 34 call-outs in the 24 hours to 8:30 am on Sunday, most for structural assistance, primarily in Logan and the Fraser Coast region.

Meteorologist Sarah Scully warned that storms moving into eastern New South Wales and southern Queensland could produce flash flooding, damaging winds and hail larger than 2 cm on Saturday, with an "even bigger storm day" expected on Sunday. She highlighted the possibility of hail exceeding 5 cm and wind gusts over 120 km/h in coastal areas such as Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.

Forecasters project 1–9 mm of rain for Sydney on Sunday and 5–30 mm on Monday, while Brisbane is expected to receive 1–15 mm on both days. The combined outlook suggests continued severe weather across the region through Monday.