History of Severe storms in Australia in Timeline

Severe storms in Australia encompass a range of impactful weather events, including cyclones, thunderstorms, and hailstorms, leading to significant damage across the country. These storms are often characterized by intense rainfall, strong winds, and large hail, causing widespread flooding, property destruction, and infrastructure damage. Cyclones, in particular, pose a major threat to coastal regions, bringing destructive winds and storm surges. The frequency and intensity of severe storms can vary across different parts of Australia, with some areas being more prone to specific types of events. These storms have significant economic, social, and environmental consequences for affected communities.

March 1907: Exmouth Gulf Cyclone

In March 1907, a cyclone in the Exmouth Gulf destroyed 15 pearling luggers, 2 schooners, and resulted in the drowning of five Japanese people.

January 1918: Mackay Cyclone

In late January 1918, the Mackay Cyclone, a Category 4 cyclone, struck Mackay and surrounding regions. The cyclone brought a storm surge and extensive flooding. Approximately 30 people died, hundreds were injured, and A$60 million in damage was sustained. Around 1300 of the 1400 homes in the Mackay township were destroyed or severely damaged.

March 1918: Innisfail Cyclone and Storm Surge

On 10 March 1918, a powerful cyclone and storm surge hit the coast at Innisfail, causing significant destruction at Cairns, Babinda, and the Atherton Tableland. It is estimated that 37 people died in Innisfail, with an additional 40-60 Aboriginal people dying in outlying areas. In Innisfail, only 12 houses remained undamaged.

March 1934: Northern Queensland Cyclone

In mid-March 1934, a cyclone in Northern Queensland resulted in the deaths of 99 people over two days.

December 1946: Previous Wind Record at Archerfield Airport

In December 1946, the previous wind record at Archerfield Airport was set at 143 kilometres per hour. On 15 December 2023 a thunderstorm produced a wind gust of 169 kilometres per hour, beating the record.

January 1947: Sydney Hailstorm

On January 1, 1947, Sydney was struck by a severe hailstorm. The storm cell developed over the Blue Mountains and dissipated east of Bondi Beach. It was the most severe storm to hit the city since 1792.

February 1954: Gold Coast Cyclone and Resulting Floods

On 20 February 1954, a cyclone struck the Gold Coast, resulting in four deaths. Subsequent floods around Lismore in Northern New South Wales caused an additional 22 deaths.

1954: Coolest February in Victoria

The month of February 1954 was mentioned as the coolest February in Victoria until February 2005.

January 1971: Severe storm causes flash flooding in Canberra

In January 1971, a severe storm caused flash flooding on the Woden Valley freeway in Canberra. Culverts blocked with debris, leading to cars being swept away. Seven people died, 15 were injured, and 500 were affected. Insurance damage was estimated at $9 million (1971 dollars).

1973: Previous Wettest February in Victoria

February 1973 was mentioned as the wettest February in Victoria until February 2005 surpassed it.

December 1974: Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin

From December 24 to 25, 1974, Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, killing 65 people and destroying over 90 percent of the city's buildings, leaving over 20,000 people homeless. Most of Darwin's population was evacuated.

January 1985: Severe Storm

On 18 January 1985, Brisbane was struck by a severe storm. This storm was referenced again on 27 November 2014 when another severe storm hit Brisbane.

1990: Tornado hits Chisholm

In 1990, a tornado struck the suburb of Chisholm, injuring five people. The tornado destroyed a wooden church and damaged 37 houses.

January 1991: Supercell thunderstorms hit Sydney

On January 21, 1991, supercell thunderstorms moved across the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, causing extensive damage with strong winds and large hail. Some areas received more than 35 mm of rain in 6 minutes. More than 7,000 houses were damaged, and the estimated insurance payout was A$215 million.

November 1996: Severe storm affects 27,000 people

In November 1996, a severe storm impacted 27,000 people across the territory.

April 1999: Sydney Hailstorm

On April 14, 1999, a severe hailstorm struck Sydney, causing extensive damage. Hail, almost the size of cricket balls, fell in a damage path from Bundeena to Darling Point. Over 20,000 properties and 40,000 vehicles were damaged. 25 Aircraft were damaged at Sydney Airport.

November 2001: Severe storm in Hunter Region, Sydney and Central Western Regions

During a 4-day period in November 2001, a severe storm in the Hunter Region, Sydney and central western regions caused 3 fatalities and injured 50 people.

December 2003: Melbourne Tornadoes and Heavy Rainfall

From 1 to 6 December 2003, Melbourne and surrounding areas of Victoria experienced tornadoes. The storm formed around midnight on 2 December, bringing extremely heavy rainfall, with some areas recording over 100mm in two hours. This rapid rainfall led to flash flooding and extensive property damage.

February 2005: Intense Low-Pressure System over Eastern Bass Strait

On 2 February 2005, an unusually intense low-pressure system developed over Eastern Bass Strait, impacting eastern Australia. Southern NSW, South Australia, and Tasmania experienced substantial rainfall, with the highest rainfalls concentrated in Victoria. February 2005 became Victoria's wettest February since 1973 and the 7th wettest in the last 106 years, also being its coolest since 1954.

February 2005: Widespread storm across the Southern Eastern States

On February 1–2, 2005, a widespread storm across the Southern Eastern States resulted in 3 fatalities, 12 injuries, and an estimated damage bill of $216.7 million.

December 2005: Aircraft crash west of Condobolin

In December 2005, a Piper Chieftain light aircraft crashed west of Condobolin during storms, resulting in the deaths of Peter Menegazzo and his wife.

December 2005: Heavy storms hit Canberra and NSW

On December 2, 2005, heavy storms, possibly including a tornado, struck Canberra and the surrounding New South Wales region, causing extensive damage to houses and property. One man was killed by a falling tree in Curtin. The damage in Fyshwick was estimated at A$3–4 million, and the total damages across the city were estimated at A$15 million. Calvary Hospital lost power and used a generator until power was restored.

December 2006: Thunderstorm causes havoc in Canberra

On December 31, 2006, a large thunderstorm, the third in three days, caused havoc in the southern part of Canberra, including inner suburbs and Tuggeranong.

February 2007: Supercell storm hits Canberra City

On February 27, 2007, a supercell storm struck Canberra City, causing extensive hail accumulation of up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) deep, with drifts reaching 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) in Civic. The weight of the ice caused the roof of a newly constructed shopping centre to collapse. Birds were killed and people were stranded.

February 2007: Flash flooding in Canberra

On February 28th, 2007, many homes in Canberra experienced flash flooding due to inadequate stormwater infrastructure and mudslides from cleared land. The Bureau of Meteorology reported a record number of thunderstorms for February 2007.

June 2007: Major storm causes disruption in Hunter Region, Central Coast and Sydney

In early June 2007, a major storm known as an east coast low caused major disruption in the Hunter Region, Central Coast and Sydney, resulting in 9 fatalities. The storm also caused extensive damage and major flooding in the lower-Hunter River region, and flash flooding in other parts of the region. On June 8, the swell caused the bulk carrier, Pasha Bulker, to run aground off Newcastle's Nobbys Beach.

November 2008: Brisbane Thunderstorm

On 16 November 2008, Brisbane experienced a severe thunderstorm with wind gusts up to 130 kilometres per hour, which is equivalent to Category 2 tropical cyclone speeds. The storm caused flooding across the region, leading to disaster declarations in affected areas. In The Gap, a suburb in the north-west, the storm resulted in significant damage, including roofs being torn off houses, trees being uprooted, and cars destroyed by falling debris.

February 2010: Black nor'easter causes flash flooding in Sydney

Beginning on the evening of February 12, 2010, some regions of Sydney were inundated by strong rain and localised flash flooding caused by a Black nor'easter. The storms continued through to February 14. Some areas of the northwest and southeast were declared natural disaster zones, with damages exceeding A$6 million in western regions.

March 2010: Perth Hail Storm

On 22 March 2010, a hail storm struck Perth with golf ball sized hail, gale-force winds up to 120 kilometres per hour, and 40 millimetres of rain. Frequent lightning strikes left 120,000 homes without power, and mudslides damaged several homes. The storm formed due to a sudden wind change combined with a surface trough.

December 2010: Severe Weather Events in Queensland

In December 2010, a series of severe weather events began to impact Queensland, Australia, continuing into January 2011.

January 2011: Severe Weather Events in Queensland

Continuing from December 2010, severe weather events continued to impact Queensland, Australia, into January 2011.

December 2011: Severe Thunderstorms around Melbourne

In the days preceding 25 December 2011, a high blocking pattern developed over south–east Australia, creating unstable conditions. On Christmas Day, an upper-level trough lead to strong low-level shear allowing the unstable atmosphere to develop a number of supercells around the Melbourne area.

2011: Above average rainfall in Sydney

Throughout summer 2011, Sydney experienced above-average rainfall, with many cases of flash flooding and rivers breaking their banks due to sustained rain periods.

November 2012: Severe Storm in Ballarat

On 30 November 2012, Ballarat experienced a severe storm with heavy rain, hail, and strong winds. The storm damaged and flooded homes, sent roofs flying, destroyed some homes in Mt. Clear, and almost destroyed a school in Sebastopol.

2012: Above average rainfall in Sydney

Throughout summer 2012, Sydney experienced above-average rainfall, with many cases of flash flooding and rivers breaking their banks due to sustained rain periods. On March 8th one of the more widespread flash flooding events occurred, disrupting the daily commute, by flooding train stations, and arterial roads.

November 2014: Brisbane Mesoscale Convective System

On 27 November 2014, a Mesoscale convective system struck Brisbane, producing wind gusts up to 141 kilometres per hour and hail stones up to 8 centimeters in diameter. This storm was the worst to hit Brisbane since January 1985, causing over A$1 billion in damage. Widespread flooding and hail damage occurred in the city and its suburbs, with 39 people injured.

April 2015: Severe rainfall and cyclonic winds in NSW

From April 20 to 22, 2015, the Hunter, Central Coast, and Sydney regions experienced severe rainfall and 'cyclonic winds' from an east coast low. Four people died in flash flooding, including three in Dungog. Between 100,000 and 200,000 homes and businesses were without power at some point during the three days.

January 2016: Severe rainfall impacts NSW regions

Between January 4 and 6, 2016, the Hunter, Central Coast, Sydney, Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains regions were impacted by severe rainfall. The State Emergency Service issued an evacuation order for parts of Raymond Terrace due to flooding of the Hunter River.

June 2016: Severe weather batters the East Coast of Australia

Between June 3 and 5, 2016, severe weather battered the East Coast of Australia, including Brisbane, South East Queensland, far North NSW, the Northern Rivers, and Sydney. Up to 200 mm of rain fell across the entire coast, with gusts of up to 125 km/h hitting Newcastle and Sydney. The deaths of four people across the coast were attributed to the severe storms. Over 3,000 calls were received across NSW, and 9,000 homes across Sydney and the Central Coast were without power.

November 2016: Melbourne Thunderstorm Asthma Event

On 21 November 2016, Melbourne experienced a thunderstorm asthma event, resulting in 9 deaths. Hot, windy conditions spread fine grass pollen particles, triggering asthma symptoms in thousands of people.

December 2018: Gold Coast Supercell Storms

On 22 December 2018, the Gold Coast was hit with supercell storms that produced hail the size of golf balls and damaging winds.

January 2020: Severe storm strikes NSW and ACT

On January 20, 2020, a severe storm struck New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), affecting Sydney, the Hunter Region, the Riverina, and South Coast. The cost of the storm in the ACT alone was over A$500,000,000.

January 2020: Severe storm strikes Canberra and Queanbeyan

On the afternoon of January 20, 2020, a severe storm hit Canberra and nearby Queanbeyan in NSW, with large hailstones and winds over 110 km/h. Many vehicles were damaged, with over 50,000 insurance claims lodged. The event was declared a catastrophe with costs over A$500,000,000. Power was cut to about 1,000 homes. Experimental greenhouses at CSIRO were severely damaged, and the Shine Dome was seriously damaged.

August 2020: Severe Storms Across Melbourne and Southern Victoria

On 27 August 2020, severe storms impacted Melbourne and southern Victoria, causing 3 deaths. 200,000 residents in 101 suburbs were placed under a boil water notice, which was lifted 4 days later.

October 2020: South East Queensland Supercell Thunderstorm

On 31 October 2020, a supercell thunderstorm impacted most of South East Queensland, with giant hail up to 13cm reported in Hillcrest, and 14cm in diameter in Forestdale. Emergency alerts were issued for Lockyer Valley, Ipswich, Jimboomba, Amberley, and parts of the Gold Coast. The supercell caused over $980 million in insurance costs and had 296,000 lightning strikes.

October 2021: Severe thunderstorms over Sydney

On October 14, 2021, multiple severe thunderstorms formed over the blue mountains and moved east towards Sydney. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a rare tornado warning. The roof of a shopping mall collapsed in Mount Druitt due to extremely heavy rainfall.

January 2022: Power supercell thunderstorm impacts Canberra

On the evening of January 3, 2022, a power supercell thunderstorm impacted Canberra, moving through Tuggeranong initially and prompting a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Damaging Winds, Heavy Rainfall and Large Hailstones. The Bureau of Meteorology updated their Severe Thunderstorm Warning to include Giant Hailstones as the storm intensified over Belconnen.

December 2023: Severe Thunderstorm in South East Queensland

On 15 December 2023, a fast-moving severe thunderstorm struck South East Queensland producing a wind gust of 169 kilometres per hour over Archerfield Airport. The storm also caused hailstones between 3 and 4 cm in Southern Brisbane and 50mm of rainfall in 30 minutes west of The Gold Coast. A 30-year-old man died due to fallen powerlines, and 19,000 properties lost power. 9 planes were damaged at Archerfield Airport.