A warm wish for Christmas by Dan Corbett
Christmas day brought a day of drastic extremes on the weather front for the state of Queensland in Australia, as temperatures soared and storms lashed the south.
The severe storms came as the state sweltered in a searing Christmas heatwave which has allowed the mercury to rise well above the seasonal average.
Never mind chestnuts roasting on an open fire, they could well have been roasted on the beach in the sun as temperatures rose to the dizzy heights of 43C (109F) in Longreach and Julia Creek, both located in central Queensland. The coastal city of Brisbane saw temperatures rocket to 33C (91F) and a very high humidity level making it extremely uncomfortable.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported 3000 lightning strikes in the southeast corner of Queensland, near the Gold Coast where storms were sparked off as a result of the heat. Gusts of wind in excess of 70mph were also reported during the storms in Redcliffe, just to the north of Brisbane. The city also saw some heavy downpours, with over 2 inches (51mm) of rain falling in just a few hours along with large hail.
The Bureau is still warning of some severe storms to come during today as temperatures remain well into the 30s.
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