Last night, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast experienced additional storms, albeit less intense than those that struck earlier in the week.
Lightning made its mark in Southport, triggering fire alarms. However, it was the area westward, near Toowoomba, that bore the brunt of the storm.
Dalby’s night sky was illuminated by a dazzling lightning display, with Greenmount witnessing a power transformer getting hit, which sent sparks into the air.
Despite these events, the region’s recovery efforts are far from complete. Schools remain shut, and power outages continue to affect residents.
Generator shortages are being reported by Bunnings as many people still lack electricity, though 9News has learned the company is working quickly to restock.
Since Monday, power has been restored to over 120,000 residents, and authorities are optimistic about reconnecting most of the state by around 8 PM local time today.
The Insurance Council of Australia said nearly 28,000 claims have already been made, and issued a warning for residents to look out for disaster chasers
“Disaster chasers are opportunistic individuals who may offer quick-fix clean-up, repairs, and inspections, often demanding upfront cash payments for shoddy or incomplete work,” the council said in a statement today.
“Some disaster chasers pressure homeowners to sign a contract on the spot for future repair work and may promise their insurer will pay.”
To make matters worse, the wild weather is set to continue, except Queensland will need to brace for another threat: a heatwave.
Ambulance services have warned people to stay cool and to look after elderly neighbours as temperatures could reach up to 10 degrees above the average for November in some parts of the state.
