Women injured by lightning amid Anzac deluge
Two women have been hospitalised following terrifying separate lightning strikes, after southeast Queensland was pounded by a deluge of rain on Anzac Day morning.
More than 200mm of rain fell across multiple areas in the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, sparking a severe thunderstorm warning from the Bureau of Meteorology as remembrance services kicked off across the country.
Some services in the Sunshine Coast region were cancelled as a result of roads becoming inundated by flash flooding.
A whopping 234mm of rain fell in West Woombye, while Mapleton recorded 223mm and Nambour recorded 200mm, the bureau confirmed. Heavy rainfall pounded southeast Queensland early on Friday morning, leading to a severe thunderstorm warning being issued by the Bureau of Meteorology. Supplied / BOM Credit: Supplied The sudden deluge led to flash flooding in Nambour and the cancellation of some Dawn Services. Supplied / ABC via Facebook Credit: Supplied
Emergency services confirmed two women were taken to hospital after being injured when lightning struck their property early in the morning.
One woman sustained neck pain after her property on Yandina Bli Bli Rd was hit by lightning about 12.43am on Friday.
She was taken to Nambour Hospital in a stable condition.
Another woman was taken to Caboolture Hospital in a stable condition with minor burns after lightning struck her property on Coutts Dr in Burpengary two hours later, causing a small fire.
Neither of the women were directly struck by lightning, a Queensland Ambulance Services (QAS) spokeswoman said.
The bureau attributed the sudden burst of rain to a surface trough 'combining with an upper trough' causing thunderstorms and moderate showers over the morning. The bureau's initial thunderstorm warning for heavy rain in the Sunshine Coast region, issued at 2.43am. It has since been cancelled. Supplied / BOM Credit: Supplied
In their original severe thunderstorm warning, issued at 2.43am, they warned: 'Rainfall rates have eased below severe thresholds, but there is a slight chance heavy falls may redevelop later this morning.'
'The immediate threat of severe thunderstorms has passed, but the situation will continue to be monitored and further warnings will be issued if necessary.'
In Nambour, 136mm of rain was recorded in the three hours to 1.31am, while another 140mm was recorded in Mapleton in the three hours to 1.47am.
151mm was recorded in the rural Sunshine Coast town of West Woombye in the three hours to 1.23am and 91mm was recorded at the Maroochy Intake Weir between midnight and 1am.
The warning was revoked at 8.11am. Two women were injured following separate lightning strikes at their properties during the sudden deluge. Supplied Credit: Supplied
In a further update, senior meteorologist Christie Johnson said several locations recorded three-hour rainfall totals between 130-150mm, which was significant enough to trigger the bureau's flash flooding warning.
She said most falls were concentrated in the early hours of the morning and fewer showers were forecast through the afternoon.
In Nambour, the local RSL sub-branch advised residents the 9am Anzac parade down Ann St had been cancelled due to streets being suddenly hit with flash flooding.
Footage from one resident, shared to the ABC, shows one road completely inundated.
Multiple flood warnings for Queensland catchments and creeks remain in place.
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