Giant Hail Hits South-East Queensland as Lightning Damages Brisbane Airport Runway

Conceptual illustration of hailstones on wet grass beside an Australian suburban driveway

Updated: 28 October 2026, 3:18 a.m. AEDT

Hailstones up to seven centimetres across struck parts of south-east Queensland on Tuesday, 27 October, while a lightning strike damaged Brisbane Airport’s western runway and disrupted flights.

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed hail measuring three to seven centimetres at Yamanto, Flinders View, Ripley and Mudgeeraba between 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. Queensland time, ABC News reported. The bureau classifies hail larger than five centimetres as giant hail.

The afternoon storms swept across the Gold Coast and Ipswich. Nine reported that hail covered yards and streets in Augustine Heights and Redbank Plains, while more than 1,000 homes lost power.

At Brisbane Airport, lightning struck the western runway shortly before 3 p.m. The runway remained closed at 6 p.m. Tuesday while engineers assessed the damage, according to Nine. An airport spokesperson said repairs were expected overnight, with the runway expected to be operational by Wednesday morning. That was the airport’s forecast, rather than a confirmed reopening.

ABC reported that the eastern runway reopened after a safety inspection and that the airport warned of flight delays.

During Tuesday’s storms, the bureau issued warnings for damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain across several south-east council areas. Passengers should check with their airline for the latest flight information.

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