Severe storms and flashflooding cause chaos in Brisbane

© Adam Smith/News Corp Australia

Flooding caused many residents to abandon their cars.

• Rail, ferry and bus services back to normal for morning peak


• Hundreds still impacted by power outages


• Suspected tornado near Ipswich was a 'gustnado'


• Today's weather forecast predicts showers and thunderstorms

Video of a man doing backstroke in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall has emerged after the city suffered through one of its most devastating thunderstorms in years.

Residents and businesses have been cleaning up today after a severe storm caused flooding and saw houses set on fire in south east Queensland.

Damage from the storm and flash flooding includes a four metre sinkhole that opened up on Orchard Rd, Richlands.

© Tara Croser/News Corp Australia

A sinkhole (located behind the dirt) in Richlands.

© Jessy Webber

During the storm yesterday afternoon more than 16,000 lightning strikes were recorded on the GPATs system, according to electricity provider Energex. Footage also emerged of a possible tornado on the outskirts of Brisbane.

While some watched in awe at nature's display from the comfort of their homes, others embraced the downpour, with one man captured doing breaststroke in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall.

Backstroke in Queen Street Mall

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Crews worked through the night to restore power to more than 25,000 homes and businesses last night. Today more than 200 homes were still without power in Brisbane City, as well as more than 500 in the central Queensland area and South Burnett.

Woman films the moment when lightning strike cut power around Brisbane airport. http://t.co/cKLHa0ynua#9Newshttp://ift.tt/14QxCXU

- Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) November 19, 2014

Better photo of the road. Post-storm. Alexandria St, Bowen Hills #BNEstormhttp://ift.tt/1uTZnZd

- Yolanda (@heylandy) November 19, 2014

The storm cells brought winds gusting to more than 100km/h, as well as heavy rainfall in some areas and flooding.

The worst affected areas were around the Redbank Plains in Ipswich, Sunnybank, Coorparoo, Tennyson and Northgate/Nundah in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

A Bureau of Meterology spokeswoman said that the most powerful gusts were recorded at Redcliffe, where winds reached 105km/hr at 5.15pm on Wednesday.

The highest rainfall in the state of 115mm was recorded at Gin Gin west of Bundaberg, north west of Brisbane. Brisbane's highest rainfall was 101mm recorded in the southwest at Inala.

Flash floods burst down a staircase in Brisbane. (See video here)

Queensland Rail said that all lines had been repaired and services had resumed for this morning's peak. Direct lightning hits as well as damage to overhead power lines due to fallen trees and debris, disrupted commuters severely last night.

Morning peak train, bus and ferry services have all returned to normal operations this morning. #qr

- Queensland Rail (@QueenslandRail) November 19, 2014

© Dane Beesley

House fire during the storm in Bristol Street West End.

Tornado?

Yesterday afternoon, footage posted to facebook revealed what many described as "the eye of the storm" in Providence, South Ripley, a small, developing community with a population of under 1000 residents in south east Queensland.

"The eye of the scariest storm I've ever witnessed," wrote Matty Gilchrist, who posted the clip.

Many were comparing the jawdropping footage to the tornadoes seen in the United States. Several users posted similar photos of the storm, which occurred at around 3.30 in the afternoon.

Other images to come out of South Ripley included severe damage to a horses leg after a shed roof flew across the paddock, exposing the bone of the mare.

A Bureau of Metorology spokeswoman said there were very destructive winds recorded near Ipswich so it was a possibility that a tornado had formed but she said she had not seen the footage so could not say for sure.

"There were a couple of cells that were very dangerous, which we indicated in our warnings, that may have caused rotation, it's hard to confirm ... but it is a possibility," she said.

Meterologist and journalist Magdalena Roze analysed footage of the tornado posted online and said that it was definitely not a tornado.

"If you look at the video, the circulation is not connected to the cloud which is the main giveaway that this was a gustnado, not a tornado," Ms Roze told news.com.au.

"It usually looks like a dust devil or debris cloud," she said.

Ms Roze said gustnados generally cause less damage than a tornado, are not as intense and do not last as long.

Today's Outlook

The spokeswoman said there was the possibility of a shower and slight thunderstorm today but the storm would definitely not be as active as yesterday.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said there were approximately 240 callouts late yesterday afternoon across south east Queensland, mostly for minor issues including leaking roofs, flood inundation and fallen trees. The callouts had quietened down by about 8pm.

© Chris McCormack/News Corp Australia

Flooding in Alexandra St, Bowen Hills on Wednesday afternoon.

The majority were in Brisbane City Council areas, but there were also some in Redcliffe and Bribie Island. There were also two rescue requests in Rocklea and Salisbury from people in cars trapped in flood waters but the spokeswoman said that by the time rescue crews reached the areas the people were no longer in the cars.

MT @energex: Remember to stay away from fallen powerlines after the storm. http://t.co/HHU8BVZiiA

- Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) November 19, 2014

Yesterday's Deluge

A massive thunderstorm struck the Brisbane metropolitan area around 4:30pm local time on Wednesday, drenching the city, causing traffic chaos and leaving many people stranded by flash flooding and in need of rescue.

© Facebook

Melvin Dowel sent in this pic of a streaming, flooded backyard in Woody Point, Moreton Bay, north-northeast of Brisbane.

The city received 55mm of rain in less than an hour, well over half the monthly average. Some suburbs reportedly received as much as 100mm, with the highest official recording 87mm at Archerfield in the city's south.

© Bom.gov.au

The blue zones indicate rainfall totals of up to 50mm while the yellow means 50mm plus.

The devastating flooding was a very different type of disaster to the January 2011 floods when the Brisbane river rose steadily over days.

While there were devastating flash floods in areas like Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley in the summer of 2010/11, Brisbane itself suffered a slow inundation of low-lying areas of the city.

© News.com.au

It was only short-lived and is losing intensity now, but it saved its full fury for the Brisbane metro region.

The short-lived but powerful storm came out of the southwest. Emergency crews were reporting flooding right across the city, including the CBD, Fortitude Valley, Oxley, Inala, Bowen Hills, Kedron and Archerfield.

An emergency services spokesman said they were called to swift water rescues in Salisbury and Rocklea.

The Salisbury incident involved two cars floating down the street, while in Rocklea three vehicles were stuck in floodwater in an underpass.

Rescues were also reportedly underway in Bowen Hills and Acacia Ridge, also due to flooding.

Images posted on social media show cars being swept away in Bowen Hills, in inner Brisbane.

While many major roads remain choked, things are just as bad on the city's rail lines.

Queensland Rail issued a statement saying that storms and flash flooding have affected the network, with multiple issues, including water over the tracks, which has required the overhead power to be turned off through the CBD.

Trains were suspended due to flash flooding, including major city stations like Central, Roma St, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Albion, South Brisbane and Milton.

Queensland Rail asked customers to seek alternative transport.

© Facebook

Commuters could be seen being turned back from Central station, unable to be told how long they would have to wait. There were also power outages across the city.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned on Wednesday afternoon of the severe thunderstorm, saying it could produce damaging winds and large hailstones.

The bureau says the storm pummelled Redbank Plains and Inala, in Brisbane's southwest, with 75mm of rain in 30 minutes.

City infrastructure is struggling to cope with the intense downpour, with grates across Brisbane seen overflowing with water.

Energex says more than 1600 homes in the Brisbane city area have lost power.

Police are reporting powerlines down over roads in the north Brisbane suburbs of Nundah and Northgate.

Water has come through the roof of Toombul Shopping Centre, flooding the premises.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said emergency crews had received 130 calls for assistance.

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