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Dams miss out in south-east Qld storms

Wivenhoe Dam had falls of only up to 15 millimetres in overnight storms. - ABC

South-east Queensland dams missed out on most of the rain from overnight thunderstorms.

A series of storms produced hail and heavy rain in some areas, with falls of about 60 millimetres recorded on Brisbane's northside.

SEQ Water spokesman Mike Foster says the combined level of the region's three dams is now 41.6 per cent.

"North Pine Dam got the best of it - upwards of 25 millimetres in the top end of that catchment," he said.

"Wivenhoe was next best with falls of sort of nine millimetres to 15 millimetres and our usual star performer Somerset got the worst of it, sort of three to six millimetres.

"We don't expect to see any inflows as a result of that rainfall overnight."

South-east Queensland has been spared any major damage after severe storms hit the region last night.

The storm front swept through Ipswich at around 6pm AEST and hit Brisbane about an hour later, causing blackouts to 32,000 properties.

State Emergency Service volunteers were called to repair 21 leaking roofs.

A resident from Placid Hills, near Gatton, says large hail hammered her property.

"We've lost a lot of the fruit off the trees and some of the plants in the garden were stripped - it just fell down, it was unbelievable," he said.

A Lockyer Valley farmer says she has lost more $100,000 in crop damage in last night's storm.

Narelle Schultz says the hail storm came through in three stages, battering vegetable crops on their Grantham property.

She says the losses are significant.

"My husband said in the vicinity of up to about 100-grand we might have lost out of the lettuce," she said.

"Sugarloaf are not as good price ... [up to] $7,000 worth gone there.

"This is the end of our season so all this money is sort of our cream."

Weather bureau spokesman Geoff Doueal says conditions have stabilised, with showers predicted for today.

"We're likely to see them coming through in those south-easterlies and this afternoon we may even see them inland a bit," he said.

- ABC

© ABC 2008

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Minister not surprised Wivenhoe accounts differ

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