A string of cities and suburbs south-west of Brisbane have been identified as south-east Queensland's hotspots for hailstorms.

Springfield, Ipswich, Boonah, Beaudesert, Esk and Jimboomba gained the unwanted titles, while Chermside and Capalaba are the best places to avoid the storms.

"The frequency [of hailstorms] drop off in Brisbane's northern and south-eastern suburbs," Dr Joshua Soderholm, from University of Queensland's Climate Research Group, said.

Dr Soderholm has developed a hailstorm map using 19 years' worth of radar data and information gathered during two years spent in the field using weather balloons and quadcopters to get close to storms.

The hailstorm climatology of Brisbane chart was derived from 19 year's worth of radar. ( Supplied: University of Queensland )

He found the south-east's storms commonly arose in two areas.

One was the Boonah-Beaudesert region, extending along the south-west corridor, and the second was around Esk, with storms extending to the Sunshine Coast.

The research also showed hailstorms were most common in Brisbane when sea breezes and a cool south-easterly change moved through the region.

Dr Joshua Soderholm undertook a two-year field campaign to help develop his thunderstorm map. ( Supplied: University of Queensland )

"The city of Brisbane 'urban heat island' accelerates the sea breeze, leading to increased moisture over the city, providing a hot and humid environment that is favourable for feeding storms," Dr Soderholm said.

"The most optimal storm conditions for Brisbane are also associated with a deep layer of warm, moist air from agriculture out west moving eastwards over the coast."

Dr Soderholm, who is working with the insurance industry, said the capital's most significant hailstorms were "severe multi-cells", which were more common in the south-east region than supercells.

Chermside and Capalaba were found to be the best places to avoid thunderstorms. Suburbs south-west of Brisbane have been labelled the thunderstorm hotpots of the south-east by a Queensland researcher who has collated 19 years worth of data and spent two years in the field. ( Supplied: Joshua Soderholm )

"Different cells dissipate as new cells form to continue the life of the thunderstorm," he said.

Frequent thunderstorm activity over western south-east Queensland was often linked to sea breeze activity, providing additional lift and moisture.

"The sea breezes combine with hot air from western agricultural regions in layers, much like the layers of a cake, leading to a very favourable atmosphere for storms over the coast," Dr Soderholm said.