Brisbane storm: Woman struck by lightning, thousands lose power in south-east Queensland

Updated

A traffic controller has been struck by lightning and a teenager was hit by a falling tree in a severe storm which passed through south-east Queensland yesterday afternoon.

At its peak, more than 11,000 properties lost electricity and 40 powerlines were down.

The severe storm cell, initially classified as "very dangerous", brought heavy rain, golf-ball sized hail and damaging winds to the region, including at least 3,300 lightning strikes.

It passed through the Scene Rim, Logan and Brisbane late on Wednesday afternoon and a separate cell swept through the Sunshine Coast hinterland into the early evening.

Two people were taken to hospital amid the storms.

A female traffic controller in her 50s was holding a pole when it was hit by lightning at Helensvale on the Gold Coast, about 3:30pm.

She was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Meanwhile, a male teen was also injured after a tree fell on him at Forest Lake in Brisbane.

He was taken to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in a stable condition with hip and leg injuries.

Energex reported more than 11,000 properties were without power, mostly in Logan and Somerset.

Topics: weather, storm-event, ipswich-4305, brisbane-4000, redbank-plains-4301, logan-central-4114, qld

First posted