Steve Ots catches massive hailstones falling in the water of the Sunshine Coast.
ANOTHER day, another storm in the southeast. Follow all the weather action here.
10.45pm: RAIN has failed to dampen spirits on the opening night of Schoolies.
While severe thunderstorms delayed the party for about an hour, stages set on the stretch of sand at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast have been reopened.
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
Schoolies organiser Mark Weyburn said the party was closed off to young revellers amid concerns of wet weather affecting electrical equipment.
"We didn't open the gates until an hour or so later than we had hoped but it didn't stop the teens from partying," Mr Weyburn said.
"The rain just amped up the crowds even more so that when the storm passed they all flooded into the party in good spirits."
Mr Weyburn said Schoolies had been well behaved this year with very few incidents.
Head Red Frog Andy Gourley said this year's crop of graduates have been well behaved so far.
Schoolies celebrate the rain
"Moving them out of the hotel rooms has been fantastic and everyone seems to be getting right into it," he said.
"The next couple of hours will get busy as we start our 'walk home' service.
"Last year we did about 6000 walk homes and some volunteers have already taken some Schoolies back to Broadbeach. Red Frogs are going to clock up the kilometres tonight."
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
7.15pm: ACCESS to the schoolies beach party has been closed temporarily while emergency services evaluate the storm threat.
Thousands of schoolies are assembling on the streets around Cavill Mall.
Gold Coast Schoolies spokesman Wayne Hickson said emergency services are keeping an eye on a developing storm front but organiser have no plans to close off the beach party at this stage.
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
"It would have to be cyclonic weather to stop these guys from partying," Mr Hickson said.
"At the moment the worst of the storm looks like it will go around us but we have plenty of systems in place in case we need to evacuate the beach quickly."
Messages broadcast on large television screens, SMS warnings and audio warnings are on hand to alert schoolies if required.
If the party is shut off, Red Frogs volunteers will do the rounds at hotel room parties to keep the estimated 30,0000 school leavers entertained and out of trouble.
Mr Hickson said schoolies week is off to a slow start but is sure to pick up as the night wears on.
Weather photo Saturday night at the Story Bridge with lightning clouds. Picture: Adam Armstrong
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
6.50pm: THE Bruce Highway has been reopened at two sections following separate incidents earlier this evening.
Motorists can now use one lane of the highway after a minor car crash 40km north of Gin Gin.
Emergency services are still removing the damaged vehicle from the road.
The highway is also open near Marlborough, north of Rockhampton, after a tree-related incident about 3pm.
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
Water spout forming over Moreton Bay at approximately 6.30am Saturday morning. Picture: Juliet Bates
6.30pm: THUNDERSTORMS may rain on the parade of school leavers with another round of severe weather warnings issued for southeast Queensland.
The weather bureau has warned residents near the NSW border to expect storms near the McPherson Range by 6.25pm and Springbrook and Little Nerang Dam by 6.55pm.
The storms are moving northeast and forecasters have advised locals near the Gold Coast to prepare to batten down the hatches.
Further north, similar warnings have been given to residents near Mackay, Prosperine, Moranbah, Collinsville, Hamilton Island and Sarina on the central Queensland coast.
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
3pm: DOUBLE Island Point, Rainbow Beach and Wide Bay are now being warned to brace for thunderstorms with the Bureau predicting impact at around 3.05pm.
At 2.35pm severe storms were detected near Beenleigh and Russell Island, they are forecast to affect Mount Cotton, Macleay Island and Victoria Point by 3.05pm.
A 'very dangerous' thunderstorm on the Sunshine Coast brings hailstones the size of tennis balls.
Police are advising motorists that the Bruce Highway is closed near Marlborough, north of Rockhampton, after trees fell onto the road.
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
2.50pm: Steve Ots is visiting the Sunshine Coast from the Gold Coast and witnessed the hail storm from his twelfth storey apartment on the Maroochydore esplanade.
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117
"I started hearing really loud noises - like a construction site," he said.
"When I looked in the distance I could see all this splashing up the river and I realised it was hail.
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
Hail hits the water at Maroochydore and leaves huge splashes. Picture: Steve Ots
"Originally I thought someone was throwing things from the apartment above us.
"The hail was orange-sized and it looked like a war zone…it was crazy, I've never seen hail like it before."
Taking shelter on his balcony Mr Ots said the hail caused considerable damage on the ground below.
"I wonder about the damage that it must have done," he said,
"You wouldn't want to be on the ground when these things were coming down…the speed was pretty phenomenal."
2.45pm: Double Island Point, Rainbow Beach and Wide Bay are now being warned to brace for thunderstorms with the Bureau predicting impact at around 3.05pm.
At 2.35pm severe storms were detected near Beenleigh and Russell Island, they are forecast to affect Mount Cotton, Macleay Island and Victoria Point by 3.05pm.
Police are advising motorists that the Bruce Highway is closed near Marlborough, north of Rockhampton, after trees fell onto the road.
2.40pm: The Bureau of Meteorology has updated weather warnings with very dangerous thunder storms detected near Maroochydore and Beenleigh, both cells are moving east.
A resident of Mooloolah Valley holds up a massive hailstone from a storm that sounded like explosions on the roof.
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117
Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Jacobs Well and Russell Island by 2:45 pm.
Thunderstorms were also located north of Noosa and at Lake Cooloola.
2pm: The Bureau of Meteorology has added to the list of southeast Queensland towns warned to brace for oncoming storms.
Dangerous storm cells have been detected on radars near Jimboomba, Logan Village, Greenbank and Conondale.
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Beenleigh, Logan City, Nambour and Mapleton by 2:20 pm.
Cleveland, Manly, Wynnum and Yandina may be affected by 2:50 pm.
Hail at Novotel Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast.
1.35pm: The Bureau of Meteorology has updated its storm warnings, with two storms cells centred around Maroochydore and the area between Boonah and Beaudesert.
The storms are moving towards the east to northeast.
The storms are classed as "very dangerous" and are forecast to affect Tamborine, Jimboomba, Logan Village and waters off Coolum Beach by 1:55 pm.
Beenleigh, Coomera, Hope Island and Jacobs Well will be hit by 2:25 pm.
Other severe thunderstorms were located near the NSW border and the area south of the NSW border.
They are forecast to affect the area southwest of Noosa Heads, the area west of Noosa Heads, Tewantin and Pomona by 1:55 pm.
Coolangatta, Caboolture, Noosa Heads and waters off Noosa Heads are predicted to be affected by 2:25 pm.
Residents are warned to brace for large hailstones and damaging winds.
Massive hailstones pounded the Mooloolah Valley. Picture: Higgins Storm Chasing/Rebecca Shepperson
1.15pm: Tennis ball-sized hail has fallen at Buderim as a large storm cell sweeps over the Sunshine Coast.
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117
The Bureau of Meteorology has reported "very dangerous thunderstorms" detected on weather radar near Maroochydore, Boonah, Caloundra and the area between Boonah and Beaudesert.
PICTURES: Readers capture southeast storms
They are forecast to affect Beaudesert, waters off Caloundra and waters off Maroochydore by 1:25 pm and Canungra, Mount Tamborine, Tamborine and Jimboomba by 1:55 pm.
Marburg, Lowood, northern Lake Wivenhoe and Mount Kilcoy will receive falls at around 1:25 pm.
Ipswich, Crohamhurst, Maleny and Conondale will receive further falls by 1:55 pm.
12.55pm: Residents are reporting a blanket of hail, some the size of large marbles, after more than 20 minutes of solid falls.
The water funnel as seen from a dive boat off Wynnum. Picture: Josh Keen
The storm cell is moving east to northeast and are forecast to hit Maroochydore by 12.55pm.
The Bureau of Meteorology has also detected severe thunderstorms near Esk and to the west of the town.
The storms are forecast to affect Boondah, Esk and the northwest of Esk by 12.55pm, and the area between Boonah and Beaudesert, northern Wivenhoe and Toogoolawah by 1.25pm.
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117
Damaging winds and very large hailstones are likely.
Capricornia, parts of the Central Coast, the Whitsundays, the Central Highlands and the Coalfields districts are being warned to brace for damaging winds and large hail stones in the next two hours.
Emerald, Rockhampton, Clermont, Blackwater, Yeppoon, Baralaba, Marlborough, St Lawrence and Dysart may be affected.
Earlier, walkers on the Wynnum foreshore got a shock this morning when a large water funnel was spotted just off the coast.
Reader Janet Rough snapped a picture about 6.45am, with the odd formation dominating the skyline.
Commonly referred to as a water spout, Bureau of Meteorology Duty Forecaster Gordon Banks said the formation was more likely to be a small tornado over water.
Meet the one man weather bureau
Readers capture southeast storms
"In this instance being as it was associated with a thunderstorm it's most likely a tornado over water," he said.
"It would actually pick up water as it moved; it's hard to see if they don't have water or dirt wrapped around them."
Also spotted from the airport, if the formation is a tornado Brisbane could be on the receiving end of a weather phenomenon.
"If it was a tornado, and I suspect it was but it's hard to prove, then it's very unusual and very rare," Mr Banks said.
"Statistically we're unlikely to get another one, but if the environments produced one there remains a chance of another.
"It's just another part of the danger associated with thunderstorms and why it's always best to take cover."
Southeast Queensland's wet weather is expected to continue, with the bureau predicting significant rain over Sunday and Monday with thunderstorms also predicted.
- reporting by Caitlin Drysdale, Naomi Lim, Jacinda Tutty and Kathleen Donaghey
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