Sunday, 3rd January 2010 - The News Today

Wild weather lashes across two states - AN ESTIMATED 2673 Brisbane homes have lost power as a severe thunderstorm brings damaging winds, very heavy rain and flash flooding to the south east.

Energex estimates storms have cut power to 2741 homes in Brisbane's south, 684 in the east, 868 on the Sunshine Coast and 21 on the northside, the Courier-Mail reports.

A Department of Community Safety spokeswoman said several leaking roofs had been patched up.

The Bureau of Meteorology has already recorded 17mm rain in the City and 16.4mm at Archerfield.

The latest bureau forecast says the storms will hit Cleveland, Esk and northern Lake Wivenhoe by 1:05 pm and Nudgee, Somerset Dam and Toogoolawah by 1:35 pm.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Geoff Doueal said: "We've got a southerly wind change moving up the coast, a very unstable atmosphere and an upper level trough coming over us."

"We're already had a shower over the airport and the first line of storms is almost at Ipswich.''

He said there was the potential for hail, local flash flooding and damaging wind gusts.

"We'll see quite a large squall pretty much everywhere (in the south-east).''

Residents evacuated in Northern NSW

Meanwhile, flood waters have forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes in northern inland NSW, as severe thunderstorms hit parts of the Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes.

Around 420 people were told to leave their homes in parts of north and east Coonamble this afternoon because of rising flood levels, State Emergency Service spokesman Phil Campbell said.

They cannot leave the town because it is cut off by flood waters, Mr Campbell said, but were seeking nearby alternative accommmodation.

"The majority will stay with friends and family in town," he said.

The Department of Community Services was arranging for others to be put up in motels, while some people were sleeping on mattresses at the local high school.

Pets are being looked after at the local greyhound track.

"It certainly is an inconvenience," Mr Campbell said.