Queenslanders have been warned to brace for another dramatic deluge with a new round of storms to hit this afternoon.
Rexjmtzywsidents in Grantham, east of Toowoomba, are being evacuated as a precaution as more wild weather arrives in the region.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the move comes amid “serious concern” for people and homes from Brisbane all the way to Bundaberg.
“Across the entire southeast. I am asking people to think about not being on the roads tomorrow and staying at home,” she said.
“The conditions are going to be unstable for the next 24 to 48 hours.”
Ms Palaszczuk also advised parents in the area to collect their children from school “when it is safe” if they live between Bundaberg and northern Moreton Bay.
“It is a serious situation. These are unprecedented times,” she said.
“I have lived in Brisbane essentially all my life and I haven’t seen storms and floods like this. All being thrown at us at once.
“We will get through it together but it is of course a very concerning time.”
Schools will be open on Friday for children of essential workers.
In other areas across the state’s southeast, schools can decide whether or not to remain open for the rest of the week.
Brisbane was on Thursday morning hit with another spell of out-of-control weather.
The very dangerous storms smashed Queensland’s southeast on Thursday morning with 48mm of rain dumped on Brisbane’s CBD in half an hour.
Wind gusts of 93km/h and giant six-centimetre hail were also part of the wild weather that swept through the Sunshine State.
The Bureau of Meteorology earlier warned the city would experience “very dangerous” intense rainfall, flash flooding, damaging winds and large hailstones.
Residents in Cleveland, Sandgate and Maroochydore were also issued a weather warning.
The wild weather is also threatening to disrupt major clean-up efforts in Queensland’s southeast and leave hundreds cut off.
A series of “very dangerous” thunderstorms have been forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology, with hail showers predicted in the next 48 hours.
The most dangerous of these have been detected near Gatton, just east of Toowoomba, and Mulgowie.
Laidley, Hatton Vale and Marburg were predicted to be hit by thunder by 6.20am before the storms moved to Ipswich, Fernvale and Lowood at around 6.50am.
Winds of almost 100km/h wind have already been recorded at Dalby, west of Brisbane, with giant hailstones also recorded in the area.
The bureau had previously warned of an “unstable air mass” over South East Queensland that could lead to major thunderstorms in the area.
“Combined with strong winds in the upper atmosphere and the approach of an upper level trough from the west will lead to increasing chances of severe thunderstorms,” the bureau said.
“Initially, large hail and damaging winds will be the main potential hazards, but heavy rainfall will become more likely with clusters or bands of storms later tonight.”
Thunderstorms are still active across the Wide Bay and Burnett, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Southeast Coast.
Gympie, Somerset, South Burnett, Toowoomba and Sunshine Coast are also affected.
Similarly, wild scenes have been recorded in NSW, with severe weather and flooding hitting Sydney and surrounds on Wednesday night.
Evacuation orders were issued for parts of the city’s west due to rapidly rising water levels.
Bureau meteorologist Dean Narramore said the biggest concern was Thursday morning, with severe weather warnings issued for heavy rainfall and damaging winds.
The warnings extend from the mid-north coast all the way towards the south coast.
“We could see hit and miss severe thunderstorms bringing heavy rain, damaging winds and possibly even large hail,” he told media on Wednesday.
“While it won’t be widespread and everywhere, isolated communities and those currently recovering from the flooding could have impact there as well.”
State Emergency Service crews are on standby for flooding in Gippsland, in Victoria, as the rains that devastated NSW and Queensland head south.
