Severe Thunderstorms Batter Queensland and NSW as Giant Hail, Damaging Winds and Flash Flooding Threaten

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather · Nov 11, 2026

Severe thunderstorms swept across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes. The Bureau of Meteorology warned of large, possibly giant, hail, damaging winds and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding. Another round of severe storms is likely on Thursday.

The storms crossed the NSW border into south-east Queensland in the early afternoon. By evening they had moved through Logan, Brisbane and the Scenic Rim, while separate cells struck the NSW North Coast near Yamba and Port Macquarie.

Queensland: power cut to tens of thousands

South-east Queensland took the heaviest hit. ABC News reported more than 58,000 homes without power at 4:41 p.m. AEST, including more than 43,000 in the Logan region. The Energex outage finder showed 78,199 customers affected at 6:15 p.m., Streamline reported. The two figures were taken at different times.

An Energex spokesperson told ABC News that a storm had partly damaged a substation at Jimboomba, affecting more than 9,000 properties in the Scenic Rim. Outages also hit the Moreton Bay region and the Gympie area. Energex reported 288 fallen power lines, with more expected, according to Streamline.

The Bureau’s warnings tracked the storms as they moved north:

The Bureau measured a gust of 60 mph (96 km/h) at Brisbane Airport just after 5 p.m., and 0.8-inch (2 cm) hail at Canungra, Streamline reported. Energex spokesperson Danny Donald said the storms produced about 50,000 lightning strikes. One flight from Sydney was diverted to the Gold Coast.

New South Wales: strong gusts and hail on the North Coast

In NSW, the storms focused on the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast. A gust of 63 mph (102 km/h) was recorded at Yamba at 5:05 p.m. AEDT, the Bureau said in a warning issued at 5:31 p.m., published by Weatherzone. The same warning reported “large accumulations of small hail” near Wauchope.

That warning named Lismore, Grafton, Byron Bay, Yamba, Evans Head and Ballina. Earlier, at 3:31 p.m., the Bureau warned of “large, possibly giant, hail” near Port Macquarie and near the Queensland border. By 6:37 p.m., storms were continuing about the North Coast and developing over the Hunter, according to warnings listed by the Early Warning Network.

No injuries had been reported in either state in the sources available on Wednesday evening.

Flash flooding: intense bursts of rain in Brisbane

The heaviest rain fell in short, intense bursts. About 3.1 inches (80 mm) fell in 30 minutes at Wishart, in Brisbane’s south-east, and about 3 inches (75 mm) in 30 minutes at Chandler and Leslie Harrison Dam, according to Bureau figures reported by Streamline. Footage aired by the ABC showed floodwater entering a bus bound for Victoria Point.

The Bureau’s warnings in both states said the heavy rain “may lead to flash flooding” over the following several hours.

What comes next: another round on Thursday

The Bureau expects more severe storms on Thursday, November 12, mainly over south-east Queensland and far north-east NSW. In a severe weather update issued at midday on Wednesday, it said the focus would run from around Bundaberg to the Port Macquarie area.

• Worst area: between about Byron Bay and Gympie, which includes Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
• Hazards: large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain.
• Timing: Wednesday’s storms were expected to clear NSW in the evening and Queensland early on Thursday. Thursday’s storms should weaken overnight.
• Rain: widespread falls of 1 to 2 inches (25 to 50 mm) over the next few days, with isolated higher totals under storms.

Inland areas are expected to be drier. Warnings are updated through the day, and newer warnings replace the details above.

Staying safe

The Bureau of Meteorology issues the official warnings, and residents should follow them and the advice of emergency services.

• For emergency help in floods and storms, call the SES on 132 500.
• If you are trapped by flash flooding, call 000 for rescue.
• Check the latest warnings before travelling on Thursday, as storms can develop quickly in the afternoon.
• Treat fallen power lines as live and keep well away. Energex reported hundreds down across south-east Queensland on Wednesday.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as “giant” hail? Australian forecasters use the term for hailstones larger than 2 inches (5 cm) across, according to Weatherzone. Wednesday’s warnings said giant hail was possible; the largest stones in the reports available were far smaller.

What is the difference between damaging and destructive winds? Destructive gusts exceed 78 mph (125 km/h). The Bureau added a warning for locally destructive winds in south-east Queensland at 3:46 p.m. on Wednesday.

Is this the first storm outbreak this month? No. Severe storms hit Queensland on November 2 and 3, when the ABC reported hailstones of up to 4 inches (10 cm) on Queensland’s Fraser Coast.

Where will storms be worst on Thursday? The Bureau expects the greatest risk between about Byron Bay and Gympie. Inland areas should be drier.

Sources

• ABC News: More than 58,000 homes without power as ‘very dangerous’ storms hit south-east Queensland
• Streamline: Queensland storms leave more than 78,000 customers without power
• Bureau of Meteorology: Severe weather update, storms for south-east Qld and north-east NSW
• Bureau warning, Queensland, 1:18 p.m. (via EWN)
• Bureau warning, Queensland, 1:50 p.m. (via EWN)
• Bureau warning, Queensland, 3:07 p.m. (via EWN)
• Early Warning Network alert list
• Bureau warning, NSW, 5:31 p.m. (via Weatherzone)
• Weatherzone: Severe thunderstorms could bring giant hail (November 3)
• ABC News: Severe thunderstorms sweep across south-east Qld (November 3)