Water spouts smash two homes

The southeast corner of Queensland is in the firing line for another set of severe thunderstorms this afternoon.

THE state's southeast is mopping up after severe storms swept through the area on Monday afternoon.

The weather phenomenon severely damaged two homes in the suburb of Urangan at Hervey Bay, sweeping the roof of one down the street.

"The houses had substantial roof damage," the Department of Community Safety told AAP.

Police say the damage is surprising.

Amazing Monday storm pics

A waterspout is being blamed for the damage to this home at Urangan.

Senior Constable Jules Tyson says officers were called to the first home, which had lost half its roof, amid concerns there may have been people trapped inside.

"When we attended the first one, the house next door had completely lost its roof and (it) had blown down the road," he told ABC radio.

Bruce Creed had just gone to bed when the tornado ripped through his King St home, pulling the roof off.

"The wind came on up and blew my curtains but the next thing after that there was a loud bang and that was it, in 30 seconds, it had peeled off the whole back section (of the roof)," he said.

It is believed a waterspout damaged the roof of this house.

Mr Creed said everyone in the house was shaken up.

"The roof peeled on up and the timber came through the ceiling and knocked the ceiling stuff onto me - it just broke out a section. All the walls have moved," he said.

He said it was not raining, so the home's interior escaped water damage.

Amazing Monday storm pics

Marian Jones posted this picture on Higgins Storm Chasing Facebook page saying "Can see as to why Mt Tamborine copped it so hard." Picture: Marian Jones

SES crews and emergency services were on the scene this morning helping Mr Creed and his neighbour.

Across the road, neighbour Robin Forrest said he heard the tornado coming.

"Up to 15 to 30 seconds before it hit there was an enormous roaring sensation, a lot of crashing and banging and things flying around then it was gone," Mr Forrest said.

"It was all so quick that you really didn't have time to take it in."

Cheryl Stonehill Power posted this picture on Higgins Storm Chasing Facebook page showing storm clouds over Berrinba in Brisbane. Picture: Cheryl Stonehill Power

He said he watched the wind come towards him through the window and pull the roofs off of homes across the road.

"I'm surprised there hasn't been more homes damaged," he said.

Amazing Monday storm pics

Urangan local Mark Tandy cycled through King St and said he saw a trampoline that had flown into a person's fence with the home owner unsure where it had come from.

A fierce hailstorm forced the closure of Dreamworld on Monday afternoon. Picture: Dreamworld staff

"This morning on my early morning bike ride I noticed branches all over the place and fences knocked down - it seems to have had a really narrow focus."

There are no reports of any injuries.

The Bureau of Meteorology says water spouts are very small areas of concentrated swirling winds, which can produce a narrow column of condensed water.

Storms have again lashed the South East with large hail and damaging winds

"It's like an ice skater with her arms out and when she draws them in she spins faster and faster," a bureau spokesman told AAP.

Amazing Monday storm pics

"When you get that spiralling around, it concentrates, and you get that spout tighten up and the winds strengthen.

"It's that motion, that spiralling and also the air lifting, that creates that vortex."

Monday storms. Picture: Leigh Mellon

A fierce hailstorm forced the closure of Dreamworld on Monday afternoon. Picture: Dreamworld staff Source: Supplied

The southeast has been given two days to recover from the recent battering by severe weather.

But Bureau of Meteorology forecaster David Grant said storms could gather over Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast for the start of the Ashes in Brisbane on Thursday.

"We've been given a couple of days reprieve before unstable conditions start to develop on Thursday in the southeast," he said.

The southeast continues to mop up after yesterday afternoon's fierce storms, which forced the closure of a Gold Coast theme park following 139km/h winds and large hail. 

Gold Coast SES crews responded to 330 calls for help between 4-9pm after homes were left battered by hail stones.

Taken from my balcony at Benowa on the Gold Coast as the storm came over Surfers on Saturday night. Picture: Dean Johnson.

Amazing Monday storm pics

An uprooted tree also caused havoc for a father and daughter on their way home from school after it fell on their car. They suffered cuts and abrasions and were taken to the Gold Coast University hospital for treatment.

Yesterday's rolling storm coverage

EARLIER, Golf ball-sized hailstones hammered Dreamworld at Coomera on Monday afternoon, forcing the theme park to close down operations.

A Dreamworld spokesperson said rides were evacuated shortly before 4pm with the hail storm lasting for about 10 minutes.

There have been no reports of any injuries to visitors at this stage and park operators are currently assessing property damage.

A 139km/h wind gust was also recorded at Upper Coomera at about 3pm.

Drivers in the vicinity raced for cover as the storm whipped through , breaking branches off trees and shaking up the area's other theme parks which were packed with tourists.

SES crews took 88 calls for help in an hour.

Hail of 3-4cm was recorded at Samford, northwest of Brisbane.

Amazing storm pics

4.55pm: Ipswich City Council mayor Paul Pisasale said the storms had missed his city.

"We've been blessed again,'' he said. "This is three times in a row they've gone past us.

"Hey, but what's happening with the weather? This is just like it was back when I was a kid, a storm every afternoon.

"Every time the school bell went you knew you were in for a drenching on the way home.''

Is Paul Pisasale right? Is this year's storm season reminiscent of when you were a kid? Tell us your memories below.

4.45pm: A worker at the BP Upper Coomera service station between Brisbane and the Gold Coast said the 10-minute storm caused chaos at the garage and on the highway.

``I couldn't count the number of cars trying to get under cover,'' he said. ``We got hail about golf ball size and got absolutely inundated with cars.

``It lasted about 10 minutes with hurricane-like wind.

``I don't know if any cars were damaged but it was big enough to do make a mess.''

4.25pm: The Bureau of Meteorology has updated their severe thunderstorm warning after storms were detected on the weather radar near Jimboomba, Logan Village and Southport.

Forecasters expect the storms to strike Beenleigh, Logan City and Macleay Island by 4.45pm and Cleveland, Peel Island and Manly by 5.15pm.

Other severe thunderstorms are impacting Ipswich and Fernvale.

That storm cell, with destructive winds and large hailstones, will hit Mount Nebo, Highvale and southern Lake Wivenhoe by 4.45 pm and Brisbane CBD, Albany Creek and the D'Aguilar Ranges by 5.15 pm.

Cricket-ball sized hail hits Ironman legend
WEEKEND PICTURES: Readers capture the storms
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117

4.15pm: Leigh Mellon was driving home to Sunshine Beach when the thunderstorms dropped pea-sized hail on the Sunshine Coast.

"I was heading back from work and saw the dark clouds when we were near the Coolum roundabout," Mr Mellon said.

"It was fast moving and kept pace with us all the way to Peregian Springs. That's when the hail started failing."

Mr Mellon said the hail stones were not as large as the weekend, but fell heavily for 15 minutes.

"Cars had to pull over because of the rain and the hail," he said.

"It caused quite a few disruptions for traffic."

Cricket-ball sized hail hits Ironman legend
WEEKEND PICTURES: Readers capture the storms
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117

3.50pm: "Very dangerous" thunderstorms have been detected on the weather radar between Boonah and Beaudesert in the southeast.

Forecasters have predicted that they will affect Coolangatta, Southport and Tamborine by 3.55 pm.

Other severe thunderstorms likely to cause destructive winds and large hailstones near Hatton Vale are expected to affect Rosewood and Marburg by 3.55pm.

Cricket-ball sized hail hits Ironman legend
WEEKEND PICTURES: Readers capture the storms
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117

3.45pm: Claire Libke of the Canungra Caltex service station in the Gold Coast hinterland said a storm had brought grape-sized hail for five to 10 minutes.

``It was the biggest storm we've had so far. Very impressive, with lightning and thunder,'' Ms Libke said. ``But it didn't do any damage to cars or buildings.

``It's raining fiercely now and the rain has washed all the hail away.

``It was terribly dry here until these storms started.''

The Energex lightning tracker has recorded almost 300 lightning strikes every half hour since storms started this afternoon.
 

3.17pm: The Bureau of Meteorology is also monitoring storms near Numinbah Valley, Laravale, Kooralbyn and Canungra that are moving in an eastern direction.

They are forecast to hit Boonah, Beaudesert, and Little Nerang Dam by 3.20 pm and Canungra by 3.35 pm.

Cricket-ball sized hail hits Ironman legend
WEEKEND PICTURES: Readers capture the storms
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117

2.52pm: Warwick, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Dalby, Maroochydore, Gympie, Kingaroy and Stanthorpe are in the storm's path.

"There are reports of small hail already falling on the area, with a couple of reports of hail bigger than 2cm, which means we have to classify the storm as severe," senior forecaster Tony Wedd said.

Mr Wedd said the main driver of today's storm is an upper trough of cold air over the region.

"It's a bit unusual to have such severe storms quite a few days in a row," he said.

"We've certainly had isolated incidents, but this relentlessness is unusual."

Cricket-ball sized hail hits Ironman legend
WEEKEND PICTURES: Readers capture the storms
Got a storm pic? MMS 0428 258 117

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Activist case a 'circus': Greenpeace

A Russian court has extended the pre-trial detention of Aussie Greenpeace activist Colin Russell. Source: AAP

THE wife of a Greenpeace activist detained in Russia has described watching him appear in court as "bittersweet".

A Russian court extended the pre-trial detention of Arctic 30 protester Colin Russell by three months on Monday, denying a request for bail or house arrest.

He has already spent two months in jail.

Christine Russell said watching proceedings in St Petersburg's Primorsky Court had been "pretty tough, bittersweet".

"Sweet in that we were able to watch a live stream of Colin's proceedings taking place ... because we haven't had a lot of contact with him," she told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

"Good to be able to hear that he's still got his sense of humour ... that seems to be holding him up through this absurd circus that's going on with these ridiculous charges."

The 59-year-old Tasmanian is one of 30 Arctic Sunrise crew members facing charges of piracy and hooliganism after being arrested by Russian authorities in September.

The so-called Arctic 30 had been protesting drilling in the Arctic, and were detained after two activists tried to scale a state-owned oil platform.

Describing her husband as looking haggard, incredibly tired and having lost a lot of weight, a visibly upset Mrs Russell said "he obviously doesn't look like the Col that I know".

She again called on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Prime Minister Tony Abbott to intervene directly with Russian authorities, saying she was disappointed with the level of representation so far.

"Colin needs all the support from the Australian government," she said.

In comments released by Greenpeace, Mr Russell told the court: "I haven't done anything wrong.

"I don't understand the reasons why I've been detained. I've done two months hard time for nothing. I've done nothing wrong."

Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt called for the prime minister to intervene, saying the government needed to increase its diplomatic efforts.

Independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie said Mr Russell's continued detention was a "bitter blow" that made federal government intervention "all the more pressing".

"The British prime minister and German chancellor have already spoken to the Russian president to express their concerns with the continued detention of the Greenpeace activists and it is beyond time for Tony Abbott to do the same," Mr Wilkie said in a statement.

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Cop used 'secret camera' to film people

A NSW police officer has been charged with filming people using a secret camera in his bathroom.

A visitor to the home at Inverell, in northern NSW, alerted police in August after allegedly finding the camera.

Police say officers searched the home and seized a laptop.

The general duties constable, from the northwest metropolitan region, was issued with a court attendance notice on Monday for the offences of installing a device to film and attempting to film a person without consent.

He will appear in Hornsby Local Court on January 15.

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Infrastructure plan will be balanced: govt

THE federal government has defended billions of dollars worth of infrastructure cost-cutting despite promising a comprehensive nation building plan.

The coalition has forecast $4.5 billion of savings beyond the budget forward estimates from cancelled transport-related projects and an overhaul of a $952 million regional development fund, a Senate hearing was told on Monday.

Asked how individual projects would be paid for, assistant treasurer Arthur Sinodinos told the committee "it will be covered by revenue and there will still be some borrowing, I imagine, at least for some years.

"But the point is, you'll see a very comprehensive and very good infrastructure plan put together by very good group of people."

Labor senators bombarded senior infrastructure department staff with questions about the coalition's scrapping of the Regional Development Australia Fund, which had made grants of up to $2 million available to individual local governments.

Introduced in phases over seven years, Labor approved 910 grants in the latest round but under coalition changes each approval will be reviewed because none of the projects have been "contracted".

"We have provided advice to the government in relation to the status of the projects and the government is now considering the matter in the context of its budget processes," department secretary Mike Mrdak told the committee in Canberra.

Labor senator Jan McLucas highlighted a "climate change mitigation" project in the Torres Strait, which was approved for $5 million Commonwealth funding but will be reviewed because the contracts to begin work had not been signed.

"There has been a sense of urgency for about 15 years on this ... to provide protection against inundation of floods, usually of seawater, mainly during the February tides," Senator McLucas said.

Mr Mrdak said there was a "little bit of a grey area" until the government made a call on the unfunded projects.

However, unsuccessful projects can reapply to the coalition's alternate National Stronger Regions Fund, which begins in 2015.

It's funded at $200 million a year and requires a dollar-for-dollar match from proponents.

"We are looking at national projects which effect all parts of the country and we've got to make those balanced considerations," Senator Sinodinos said.

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Gas exports set to hit NSW by around 2016

AUSTRALIA'S rush to ship gas overseas could decrease local demand as prices skyrocket, an inquiry has heard.

In a submission to the NSW lower house inquiry into downstream gas supply on Monday, the Department of Trade and Investment states that a "huge decline" in available supplies at current prices were expected to hit in the next two to three years.

With the push to export the gas overseas, it argues that local customers will now have to compete with overseas counterparts who are generally willing to pay more.

"If domestic demand for gas falls because gas becomes too expensive, the economic viability of gas pipelines and distribution networks in NSW may be adversely affected," it states.

Steve Davies from the Australian Pipeline Industry Association (APIA) told the inquiry that the current pipelines ferrying the resource into the state were more than adequate to meet current and future demands.

With the closure of large industrial facilities on the eastern seaboard, Mr Davies said the predictions were that demands for gas would actually decrease over the next few years.

APIA, which represents the owners and operators of the nation's gas pipelines, believes it would be unlikely there would be greater investment in transmission networks.

"At this stage it seems it's the gas price itself and the impact of the new export industry on gas price that will have a much bigger impact on gas demand on Eastern Australia than the carbon price," Mr Davies told the inquiry.

Energy Users Association Australia, which represents companies such as BHP Billiton and Woolworths, said the government needed to encourage the development of the Coal Seam Gas (CSG) industry, rather than just restricting it.

While the association's CEO Phillip Barresi said he was not calling for a 'domestic gas reservation', he said the state government "should ensure that CSG developments do not result in greater resource availability for LNG exports".

"Energy users are very concerned over their inability to obtain long-term gas supply contracts and they are concerned that the short-term contracts reflect a preference for procuring gas to meet LNG export requirements rather than selling to the domestic market," he said in a submission.

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NFF elects its third president this year

QUEENSLAND grazier Brent Finlay has been named president of the nation's peak farming body, the third person to occupy the top job this year.

The National Farmers Federation (NFF) elected Mr Finlay, a veteran farmer with 25 years experience in agriculture, on Monday to take over from outgoing president Duncan Fraser.

Mr Fraser had only been at the helm of the NFF since April, when former president Jock Laurie stepped down to run an ultimately unsuccessfully campaign for NSW parliament.

Mr Finlay, who runs a sheepmeat, wool and beef property with his three daughters, paid tribute to the outgoing president.

"Mr Fraser ... has led NFF for the past seven months, through a tumultuous period in federal politics that has seen three agriculture ministers and three Prime Ministers hold their respective offices," he said in a statement.

"Now, as we enter a period of, we hope, relative political stability, it is time to get the focus away from politics and back onto policy."

Mr Finlay was elected at the NFF annual general meeting and members' council meeting in Canberra, where elections for vice president and board director positions are currently underway.

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Protesters brave rain for climate change

THE federal government was "sacrificing the planet for politics" by not taking stronger action to combat climate change, a rally in Sydney has been told.

Thousands of protesters, many in plastic ponchos or huddling under umbrellas, braved wild weather in Sydney's Prince Alfred Park on Sunday to call for stronger action on climate change.

Organised by social activist group GetUp!, the rally is one of more than 100 similar events throughout the country, with a total of about 50,000 people expected to take part.

"Today is a challenging period in our political history. It's a time when our government is sacrificing our planet for politics," GetUp! campaigns director Erin McCallum told a crowd carrying placards with slogans such as "Aim higher on climate", "Turn up the heat, choose solar power" and "Hands off our carbon tax Abbott".

Ms McCallum said the "government might have turned climate change into a political football but they weren't counting on us to play ball".

Police estimated between 3500 and 5000 people were at the Sydney event.

Deputy federal opposition leader Tanya Plibersek said the government needed to get back to basics on climate change.

"Australia is going backwards, the rest of the world is going forwards accepting that climate change is real and accepting that we must act," Ms Plibersek told the crowd, receiving applause.

"Australia can't go backwards in the face of global action.

"Is climate change real? Yes. Was climate action working? Yes."

The rally also heard from firefighters concerned about more fire danger from hotter temperatures, the Greens, and former resources executive Ian Dunlop.

Benson Koschinksi, 18, was at the event as part of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. He said the federal government's climate policy wasn't good enough.

"It's probably the effectiveness of farting in a typhoon," he told AAP.

"Around the world we're seeing action, but here we've got a leader who's axing credible climate policy."

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Eminem atop the ARIA charts

US rapper Eminem has claimed No.1 spot on both the ARIA singles and albums charts. Source: AAP

EMINEM has scored the ARIA double with the US rapper sitting atop both the singles and albums charts.

Eminem's duet with Rihanna, The Monster, has climbed one spot to be the No.1 song in Australia this week.

The feat gives both artists their eighth chart-topping single in Australia.

Katy Perry's Roar is back up one place to No.2, spending its 14th week within the top 3.

Last week's No.1 Borrow My Heart from X Factor runner-up Taylor Henderson is down to No.3 this week.

Hey Brother by Avicii bounces back to No.4, and also up three places are Pitbull and Ke$ha with Timber at No.5.

Australian band Justice Crew have moved up to No.6 with Everybody, while X Factor winner Dami Im is down three places to No.7 with her debut single Alive.

The remixed version of Lana Del Ray's Young and Beautiful is up three places to a new peak of No.8, while Nathaniel has dropped four places to No.9 with You.

I See Fire, Ed Sheeran's first new single for 2013, rounds out the top 10.

On the ARIA albums chart, Eminem holds the top spot with his new record The Marshall Mathers LP 2.

With Eminem holding the top spot, Lady Gaga enters the chart at No.2 with her third album Artpop. Gaga's only album to make its debut at No.1 was Born This Way.

Katy Perry is down a place to No.3 with Prism.

New at No.4 is Illy with his fourth album Cinematic.

Neil Finn and Paul Kelly collaboration's Goin' Your Way sits at No.5, followed by Lorde's Pure Heroine at No.6.

At No.7 is the self-titled album for Flume, which has been repackaged ahead of his multiple ARIA Award nominations.

James Blunt's Moon Landing is down three places to No.8 and Tina Arena is down two spots to No.10 with her album Reset.

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Warrnambool backs sweetened Saputo bid

Canadian dairy giant Saputo has increased its bid for Warrnambool Cheese and dropped all conditions. Source: AAP

CANADIAN dairy giant Saputo's latest takeover offer for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter has been backed by the Victorian company's board.

With trading in Warrnambool shares halted until Tuesday at the company's request, Saputo increased its offer to $9 a share and dropped all conditions relating to its offer.

Warrnambool board chairman Terry Richardson says the Saputo bid is the best proposal for shareholders at present.

"The board has decided to unanimously recommend the revised Saputo offer, in the absence of a superior proposal," he said in a statement.

The company originally offered $7 a share before increasing that to $8 and then to $9 late on Friday, matching an offer by Australia's Murray Goulburn Co-operative that values the company at $505 million.

A third bidder, Bega Cheese, increased its original offer of 1.2 of its shares plus $2 cash for each Warrnambool share. The revised offer of 1.5 shares plus $2 in cash was worth $8.87 for each Warrnambool share.

Mr Richardson says the board's support for Saputo's latest offer reflects the increased cash and certainty compared with rival proposals.

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Meaty tale launches Vic weekend court

THE first weekend sitting of the Melbourne Magistrates Court has opened with little fanfare - but was presented with the tale of a hungry couple and a packet of hidden meat.

Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen presided over the first hearing, designed to help ease overcrowding in prisons and jail cells.

Dozens of court cases have been delayed or adjourned this year because remand centres are full and prisoners can't be brought over to court.

One magistrate called the situation "so far beyond a joke".

Mr Lauritsen made no comments about overcrowding when he opened the Saturday sitting and instead heard its first case: about a 27-year-old man and his girlfriend arrested outside a supermarket.

The court heard the woman put a $20 pack of beef in her shopping basket on Friday before her boyfriend stuffed it down his pants.

Their Legal Aid lawyers said the couple ran out of money for food and made the "stupid decision" to steal.

Mr Lauritsen released the man on bail while the woman pleaded guilty and was released on a one-year good behaviour bond.

It is one of dozens of small-time cases that pile up over the weekend, backlogging the courts come Monday morning.

The pilot program could be extended until October next year if successful in reducing the backlog.

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