ARCHIVE: Queensland Severe Thunderstorms, 1850 – 2007
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ARCHIVE: Queensland Severe Thunderstorms, 1850 – 2007 By Mr Jeff Callaghan and Mr John Butler Retired Senior Severe Weather Forecaster, Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane 1850 13-10-1850. Severe thunderstorms occurred in Moreton Bay district. At Brisbane lumps of ice weighing a quarter of a pound and 9.5 inches in circumference fell. 1859 20-10-1859. A terrific hailstorm in Brisbane. 1860 3-12-1860. Severe hailstorm during the afternoon in Brisbane; pieces of ice fell with great violence from the northwest quarter and did much damage. 1861 27-04-1861. During the afternoon a terrific squall passed over the Pilot Station at Moreton Island. It came from the SSW and did much damage. Several buildings were unroofed and trees were torn up by the roots. 25-12-1861. A man was killed by lightning on Jingi Jingi Station (near Dalby) during a severe thunderstorm. A violent thunderstorm occurred at Maryborough on Christmas day. 1862 27-01-1862 (about)...GLADSTONE -a man was paralysed by lightning near Gladstone. 21-02-1862. Toowoomba- a heavy thunderstorm during the evening. 02-03-1862. (about). A man was struck by lightning while sleeping under a tree. 25-05-1862. A severe storm of thunder and lightning and rain passed over the Downs, especially heavy at Toowoomba and Warwick. 24-07-1862. A perfect hurricane occurred soon after 6pm and lasted for more than half an hour. The wind came from the west and southwest. Several houses were stripped of a good many of their shingles. A man on one of the ships in the Bay was swept over board and drowned. The wind caused a great deal of damage to storekeepers. 28-09-1862. IPSWICH. A man was struck dead by lightning while passing through the Peak Mountain Station. 28-10-1862. IPSWICH. A young man travelling along the Warwick road was struck dead, near the Mount Flinders Station, by lightning. His body was mangled and his clothes torn to shreds. Queensland Severe Thunderstorms, 1850-2007 Data by J. Callaghan and J. Butler 5 August 2011 5-11-1862. GAYNDAH.- very large hail. 24-11-1862.WARWICK. Hailstones so large that three of them would more than fill a tumbler. 03-12-1862. A violent thunderstorm, accompanied by heavy rain overtook the Moggil on her way down to Brisbane. 14-12-1862. TOOWOOMBA. Post Office struck by lightning, trees struck and cattle killed by lightning. 22-12-1862. Warwick-rather severe storm which lasted about 3 hours. 27-12-1862. Toowoomba- heavy thunderstorm which lasted several hours; all creeks flooded. 1863 06-02-1863. GAYNDAH. Severe storm preceded by a barometric fall of nearly one inch. Heavy rain and fierce wind at its worst at 8pm. Houses were unroofed and trees levelled with the ground. Several persons suffered severe losses. 20-02-1863.GAYNDAH. 150 hoggets were destroyed by lightning on the Ideraway run. 21-02-1863.WARWICK. Tornado with a great deal of rain occurred during the afternoon. 26,27-02-1863.GAYNDAH. Furious wind with rain. Great damage on the night of the 27th; large ironbark tree uprooted; canvas house torn to shreds; zinc roofs torn off and fencing blown down. Flooding with Burnett River 40 feet above normal. 24-11-1863. Goondiwindi-several terrific thunderstorms occurred, accompanied by great wind and rain. 06-11-1863..BRISBANE. Heavy hail, rain and thunder in the early morning; lightning and thunder at intervals all day; average length of hail stones along the Ipswich road and at Ipswich was 2 inches; a good deal of damage done at Ipswich. 08-11-1863...DALBY. Severe storm of wind and rain; several cottages unroofed and other damage inflicted. 11-11-1863 ...CONDAMINE...Many trees uprooted or broken. 11-11-1863 ...MARYBOROUGH. Several storms occurred and hail larger than any previously seen fell.; one stone measured 5.5 inches in circumference. 23-11-1863. A storm of more than usual violence with very heavy rain. 11-12-1863 ...NANANGO. Limbs of trees broken off; child injured. 1864 18-10-1864.ROCKHAMPTON and WOODEND. Hail storms as large as marbles at Woodend. 14-11-1864. BRISBANE. Hailstorm with vivid lightning caused horses to bolt which caused damage. Large pieces of hail cam down at a tremendous rate. 23-11-1864 ...WARWICK. A violent storm from the west was accompanied by torrential rainwhich came through the roofs of almost every building in town. 12-12-1864 ...BENDEMERE. Heavy hailstorm lasted 3/4 hour and caused creek to rise 8 feet in 2 hours. Birds were killed, trees stripped of foliage and gardens laid waste. In some of the windows not a pane was left whole. Queensland Severe Thunderstorms, 1850-2007 Data by J. Callaghan and J. Butler 5 August 2011 18-12-1864 ...GAYNDAH. Hailstorm of unprecedented violence. 19-12-1864 ...TOOWOOMBA. A man was killed by lightning. 22-12-1864 ...GAYNDAH. Violent storm preceded by dust cloud. Scarcely a tenement escaped damage and the RC church was totally destroyed. 1865 06-01-1865 ...Lightning partially destroyed stables at Four-mile Swamp, South Brisbane. 04-02-1865. Boggo -hailstones as large as hen's eggs fell. 07-11-1865...CONDAMINE. Violent storm passed over township during the evening and caused extensive damage to frail roofs of many of the houses. 19-11-1865..ROPER’S CREEK (on Peak Downs road). Hail the size of an egg. Hail pierced the bark roofs of houses and stripped trees. Fowls were killed and melons and cucumbers cut to pieces. 02-12-1865 ...WARWICK. A hail storm approached from the west. The stones increased in size until the were larger than pidgeon’s eggs and the wind drove them with great force. Windows facing west were smashed in every direction, houses were blown down and trees torn out by the roots. The storm lasted 8 minutes by which time the streets were entirely covered by hail. An estimated 500 squares of glass were broken in the town. Gardens were damaged, fruit trees stripped, vines cut to pieces and vegetables destroyed. 09-12-1865 ...GIN GIN . A valuable imported horse was struck by lightning and killed instantly. 11-12-1865...ROMA. Hail storm with stones weighing 4 ounces or more. 16-12-1865 …ROCKHAMPTON. Heavy storm with limbs of trees scattered over the roadway. GLADSTONE. Severe wind storm. Lightning caused a great deal of damage to trees near Mundubberra. 17-12-1865 ...GLADSTONE. Hailstorm, windows smashed, houses drenched and in many instances, unroofed; Court House and National School considerably damaged; hail pieces of irregularly shaped ice fell. Lombard forced to return to port due to gales. BRISBANE. Lightning did a great deal to various houses and completely destroyed one house and its contents at German Station. 20-12-1865 ...SANDY CREEK. Large hail damaged Murphy’s camp. Storm was of a whirlwind nature and branches were torn off trees blocking roads. 1866 29-03-1866 ...WARWICK. Several bullocks killed by lightning and a large tree destroyed. October 1866 27-03-1866...UPPER MARY. Hail storm with hail the size of nuts. 26-10-1866 ...BRISBANE. A very severe wind and rain storm occurred about 3pm. The rain fell in sheets and the wind blew at hurricane violence for upwards of half an hour. Some buildings were unroofed; On the Bowen Bridge a two story wooden building was blown down. At South Brisbane a coach was blown off the road and a man was killed. At Nudgee houses were flooded to depths of 3 to 4 feet. Queensland Severe Thunderstorms, 1850-2007 Data by J. Callaghan and J. Butler 5 August 2011 27-10-1866...BRISBANE. A terrific storm with the town flooded and some buildings unroofed. Loss of life occurred due to the upsetting of Cobb’s coach at South Brisbane. Heavy hailstorm on the Upper Mary, many of the hailstones were as large as nuts. 09-11-0866 IPSWICH. A most violent storm broke over the town and caused considerable damage. Two houses were struck by lightning and the Episcopalian Church was damaged. Heavy showers of rain and hail lasting for about and hour and a half at Toowoomba. 30-11-1866 WARWICK. Storm caused much damage; a brick store in course of erection was almost destroyed. 18-12-1866 ..BRISBANE. Hail storm with the majority of stones the size of hen’s eggs.- some measured 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter. Windows all over the city were smashed and several zinc and galvanised roofs were perforated. Some of the stones were very irregular in form and of distinct crystalline structure., while others were rounded and much the shape of a Flat China peach. All were alike in that the centres were composed of white opaque ice while the outsides were clear and translucent. OXLEY CREEK. Large hailstorm. Great quantity of corn, melons, cucumbers etc completely destroyed. 1867 19-01-1867 ...WARWICK. Severe storms accompanied by hailstones of immense size. The wind broke branches from trees and carried them a tremendous distance. The storm extended over 10 miles of country. 24-01-1867 ...GOONDIWINDI. A violent whirlwind occurred about 5pm. Houses were unroofed and trees destroyed. The storm lasted 20 minutes and was accompanied by rain. 07-02-1867 ...ROMA. Tremendous storms of thunder and hail in district. Trees were shivered into splinters by lightning. At Bindebanga large lumps of ice fell and thickly covered the ground. 29-03-1867 ...ROMA. Hailstorm and severe gale occurred with much damage done. 10-10-1867 ...TAROOM. A terrific storm did considerable damage to houses, huts and humpies and also to the telegraph line. The wind blew a hurricane from the west.