Beaches closed, power outages clearing, after storms roll through

Power has been restored to almost all of the thousands of homes and businesses left without power after thunderstorms pummelled parts of the region to cap off a steamy Sunday.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Brisbane, Gold Coast, Kingaroy, Caboolture, Coolangatta, Scenic Rim, Logan, Wide Bay and Ipswich on Sunday afternoon.

“Damaging, locally destructive winds and large, possibly giant hailstones are likely,” the first warning read, shortly after 2pm.

A little more than an hour later the bureau said: “While the immediate threat of severe thunderstorms across south-east Queensland has passed, a more general severe thunderstorm warning remains current for parts of the south-east coast district.