Worst storm in decades lashes Australian city of Brisbane

Wind, rain and hail cause power cuts, flooding and injure a dozen people

Queensland's capital Brisbane is cleaning up after a massive hail storm rips through the city. Video: Reuters

The worst storm in decades has lashed Brisbane, Australia’s third-largest city, with wind, rain and hail cutting power lines, flooding streets and injuring a dozen people.

State-owned electricity supplier Energex said up to 90,000 homes had been without power, with trees and hundreds of power lines brought down by winds gusting at 140 km/h. By the morning, 68,000 homes remained blacked out.

The storm struck during the Thursday afternoon rush hour, trapping commuters for hours in stalled electric trains.

Cars attempt to drive through flood water in the Brisbane central business district  after a severe thunderstorm swept through the city. Photograph: Dan Peled/EPA.
Cars attempt to drive through flood water in the Brisbane central business district after a severe thunderstorm swept through the city. Photograph: Dan Peled/EPA.
People take photos of a pile of hail stones in Brisbane’s central business district  after a severe thunderstorm swept through the city. Photograph: Dan Peled/EPA.
People take photos of a pile of hail stones in Brisbane’s central business district after a severe thunderstorm swept through the city. Photograph: Dan Peled/EPA.

Television news broadcasts showed high-rise windows smashed, light planes flipped upside down on an airfield and cars almost completely submerged in flooded streets.

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Queensland state premier Campbell Newman described the storm as the worst to hit the city of 2.2 million people since 1985. He said 12 people had been injured.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the convention centre that hosted President Barack Obama and other world leaders at the G-20 summit two weeks ago had suffered hail and water damage.

The army was called in to help emergency crews remove fallen trees.

AP