Wild storms have hit multiple states with flights affected at Sydney Airport and thousands in Brisbane told they might not get power back until Christmas Day.
Heavy rain at the airport is also seeping into the domestic terminal and roads around Mascot leading into the airport are experiencing flooding, causing heavy traffic.
It’s understood some flights have been diverted.
The State Emergency Service was called to nine flood rescues just in the eastern suburbs after the storm cell hit today.
Most of them involved people who who became stuck in floodwaters while driving.
Little Bay recorded 56 millimetres of rain between 4pm and 5pm.
The Northern Tablelands and parts of the Mid North Coast, North West Slopes and Plains, Riverina and Lower Western districts also saw rain and flash flood warnings.
South-east Queensland is cleaning up after severe weather brought hail, creating a “white” Christmas.
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More than than 55,000 properties were plunged into darkness today as fallen trees caused havoc to the energy grid.
About 120 powerlines were still down across the region this evening, meaning some homes in Logan and Brisbane could be without power until midday Christmas Day.
Dozens of roads are out of action in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
The small community of Gatton, west of Toowoomba, copped the worst of it.
Hail stones were more than 10 centimetres in size and smashed Dianne Castledine’s solar panels.
“We were all settling in for and looking forward to Christmas Eve and the next minute it was just like bombs were dropping on the roof,” Castledine told 9News.
“I have never seen hail like this before, never ever in all my years of driving I have never had hail damage to my car.”
The Wivenhoe Dam west of Brisbane received 58 millimetres in just 30 minutes and the area saw more than 200,000 lightning strikes.
