Parts of central and north Queensland have been hit by hail storms this afternoon, as a heatwave lashes the state.
In Calliope, just west of Gladstone, resident Lahni Crooks rushed to secure her belongings from the hail.
"[We] saw it coming on the radar and decided to get everything in the shed," Ms Crooks said.
"Glad we did. The rain and hail was literally coming in sideways to the carport."
A severe thunderstorm warning remains in place for a large part of the state.
The Bureau of Meteorology said locations that may be affected included Roma, Gympie, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Kingaroy, Blackwater, Barcaldine, Yeppoon, Mount Morgan and Nanango.
Forecaster Kimba Wong said the Bureau had received reports of "cricket-ball-sized hail" at Mount Larcom, just west of Gladstone.
"There are some storms really packing a punch," she said.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said the State Emergency Service responded to one call for assistance in the Gladstone region, one in the Bundaberg region and seven in the Central Highlands.
Veronica from Finch Hatton, west of Mackay, told ABC Regional Drive she had bunkered down at a church in Mirani to avoid the hail.
"It's a bit dangerous to be out," she said.
Allan from Mount Martin, near Mackay, told ABC Regional Drive he received 31 millimetres of rain in about 25 minutes.
"The wind blew a bit of me fence down," he said.
Ms Wong said as the sun went down, the risk of hail would lessen, but damaging winds were still a concern.
"These storms themselves are moving quite quickly," she said.
"The potential to deliver a high accumulation of rainfall is quite limited, but short sharp bursts of heavy rain are on the cards."
She said this risk was greater in the Capricornia and south-east regions of the state.
The storms are being caused by several surface troughs extending over Queensland from a low pressure system over north-west Victoria.
Ms Wong said these troughs were drawing warm, humid air over eastern Queensland, leading to favourable conditions for severe thunderstorms.
"Tomorrow will be a slightly less busy day in terms of severe storm potential," she said.
"There is still a risk though south of Bowen, with the chance of thunderstorm activity tomorrow, during the afternoon.
"The main risk would be damaging winds and potentially large hail again."
Ms Wong said the weather patterns were also leading to "severe and extreme" heatwave conditions in the state's north.
"That is set to continue for the week ahead," she said.
