A woman has been killed by a falling tree, as Queenslanders brace for more severe weather on Boxing Day with thunderstorms and rain forecast for large parts of the state.
The 59-year-old sustained severe head injuries after being hit by a tree at Helensvale on the Gold Coast.
She died at the scene.
“We were unable to revive her which was really quite confronting and quite sad,” paramedic Jaye Newton said.
He described scenes “like a disaster zone” as he was forced to drive around fallen trees on the motorway.
“It was an extraordinary weather event,” he said.
“There were trees all over the road. We are talking whole big trees uprooted.”
A man in his 70s was also injured by a tree branch that fell onto a tent in Helensvale. He is in a stable condition in hospital with pelvic and back injuries.
A collapsed roof put a man in his 90s in hospital with a head injury, where he remains in a stable condition.
Fallen power lines, felled trees smashing cars and homes and several drivers crashing into poles kept ambulance crews busy on Christmas Day.
It took paramedics an hour to wrench one person from a car that was hit by a large tree in the Hinterland district.
The Bureau of Meteorology said it was a “pretty major storm” that moved through southeast Queensland on Monday evening.
“We saw exceptionally damaging wind,” meteorologist Angus Hines said.
“The strongest wind gust was about 105 kilometres per hour on the Gold Coast but looking at some of the pictures of the trees and the damage, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some localised areas of even stronger than that.”
Queenslanders have been warned to secure property, stay indoors and only travel on the roads if absolutely necessary.
“This came along quite quickly but the ferocity of it was extreme,” Mr. Newton said.
“Do everything you can to stay out of the storm and in somewhere safe.”
Damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and large hail are likely between Mackay and the Sunshine Coast, and are possible south of Charters Towers.
Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are predicted for Tuesday over eastern, northern, and far northern Queensland.
“Southeast Queensland is one of those places kind of in the firing line, likely to cop a few more storms throughout the afternoon and evening hours,” Mr. Hines said.
More than 100,000 homes were without power across the southeast on Tuesday morning.
“It’s really becoming a marathon, this isn’t going to be a sprint,” Energex spokesman Danny Donald said.
“It’s a big job and some places, particularly in the more heavily wooded areas, may be without power for a few days.”
Dreamworld and other Gold Coast theme parks have closed on Boxing Day due to the storms.
Meanwhile, severe heatwave conditions will continue in the northern interior and northwest, with maximum temperatures above average.
Brisbane is expected to have a maximum of 33 celsius, with showers and the chance of a severe thunderstorm.
In the far north, the clean-up and repairs following ex-tropical Cyclone Jasper and severe flooding continue.
More than 4,200 property damage assessments have been completed since the system delivered heavy rain and damaging winds.
Twelve homes have been confirmed destroyed, 126 properties are severely damaged, and 554 moderately so.
Close to 9,000 residents have received financial assistance payments.
Flood warnings remain in place for the Barcoo, Paroo River, and Burnett Rivers, with a flood watch for parts of the Cape York Peninsula.
