Sudden storms hit Queensland overnight bringing 300,000 lightning strikes, heavy rain, hail and wild winds to the state.
But the damage from the storm became even more dangerous today when 23,000 homes were left without power during the peak of a heatwave.
Ricardo was one of those left without power and said the heat is stifling.
“It was intense, the thunder and lightning was immense. We have two dogs – they were petrified,” he said.
“The kids have gone to Westfield with the wife to get the aircon there.”
Ruth Durrant from Energex said crews have worked to restore power to “some 70 power lines that have come down across the region”.
Today, temperatures reached up to 43C in Mt Isa and Longreach while Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast hit the mid-30s.
Cooler conditions are forecast for tomorrow.
Meanwhile in Perth, the capital wasn’t exempt from a light show.
40,000 lightning strikes hit Perth overnight and more than 300,000 struck across southern Western Australia.
“Having this amount of lightning strikes is quite extraordinary,” the BoM said.
Not only were thousands of lightning strikes recorded but hail the size of 20-cent pieces rained down.
It was the first summer thunderstorm to hit the state and the bureau is warning of more to come.
Many areas in WA, NT and Queensland experienced their hottest conditions since March, as daytime averages sat four to eight degrees higher than usual for this time of year.
Looking forward, the maximum temperatures for the rest of this week are set to climb into the low-to-mid 40s across northern Australia, while south-east Queensland and central Western Australia will hit the mid-to-high 30s.
The hot weather also brings an increased fire risk with weather warnings in place.
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