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ABC News
ABC News
National
Jessica Rendall

Southern Queensland braces for potentially severe thunderstorms this weekend, with large hail possible

Queensland's Darling Downs region has been told to brace for severe thunderstorms and possible hail. (Supplied: Steve Penfold)

Residents of the Darling Downs region are being urged to prepare for a day of fairly active thunderstorms as a trough in Western Queensland deepens and moves east.

The lingering system is expected to bring increased rainfall to areas including Roma and even the possibility of severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds across the weekend.

Parts of the Maranoa and Warrego can also expect severe storms from Saturday onwards.

Meteorologist Harry Clark said people should also brace for river rises in the area and keep an eye out for any flood watches over the coming days.

"It's going to be a slow, upward trend over the weekend. The potential is really there any day and even continuing [into] Monday as well," Mr Clark said.

"So, there's not so much a peak [as] it's basically a threat every day."

Damaging winds, large hail

Severe thunderstorms are expected to bring damaging wind gusts in excess of 90 kilometres per hour and up to 50 millimetres of rain in each system.

"We generally see less than that, sort of a widespread 10 to 20mm of activity each day in those most-affected areas, but certainly some activity can lead to the high pockets of rainfall and that's referring to that 50mm."

Large hail is forecast to hit the southern border with New South Wales as well during the storm event and the Bureau of Meteorology has urged people to be prepared.

"Keep an eye out on the thunderstorm warnings over the weekend and with the riverine flood rises. We'll issue a flood watch if we think that's likely," he said.

Brisbane and east coast to be spared severe activity

Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coasts can expect some rainfall, but nothing as intense as what the southern interior will receive.

"It looks like the threat will be largely to the west," Mr Clark said.

"Still a possible shower [for Brisbane and the south-east coastline] on Friday and potentially increasing over the weekend to some more … widespread shower activity, but we're not expecting severe thunderstorm activity to make it to Brisbane."

There's a slight chance Brisbane residents could see less-severe thunderstorms, but not until Sunday if they were to occur at all.

Brisbane will see around 5mm of rain on Friday, increasing to around 15mm on Saturday and potentially up to 20mm on Monday.

"So, not huge totals every day, but definitely worth noting," he said.

Mr Clark says it is still too early to predict where the totals will fall.

"It will be fairly hit and miss what areas will receive those totals. Some places will get more,. Some places will get less," he said.

"It will depend on the way those showers form that will govern which areas receive the most [rainfall]."

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