Man stabbed in neck with fork
Hailstones larger than tennis balls punctured windshields and skylights as devastating storms hit Queensland over the weekend.
Multiple high-end hazards swept through Queensland and Northern NSW on Saturday, wreaking havoc on homes and local businesses. The roof of a wedding venue was ripped off as terrified guests sought refuge under tables and in a cool room.
Giant hail pelted parts of southeast Queensland on Saturday.Credit: Nine News
About 20 to 40 locals hoping to celebrate the reopening of MJ’s Cafe and Bar were forced to take shelter in the venue due to hailstorm in Pratten, about 200 kilometers southwest of Brisbane.
“It started out basically the size of a pea, maybe the size of a marble, then it really started to grow, getting to the size of a golf ball and almost the size of a tennis ball,” said company owner Richard Manley.
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“We’re in the bush, so we know the rifles, and it sounded louder than the .223 going off.”
By the time the storm began to pass, almost every car in the parking lot had a damaged windshield, outdoor furniture was destroyed and hail shattered the venue’s skylights, Manley said.
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded hailstones measuring nine centimeters in Pratten; Hailstones measuring five centimeters and two centimeters were recorded elsewhere in the state.
Meanwhile, nine people attending a school fair were hit by giant hail.
Paramedics rushed to Esk Public School, about an hour from Brisbane, on Saturday afternoon to treat people injured by hail. The school was celebrating its 150th anniversary.
Isabelle Drake barely escaped the line of fire at Esk Public School’s fair.Credit: Nine News
A woman was taken to Ipswich Hospital with neck and head injuries, a man in his 20s was taken to Gatton Hospital with minor burns, and two women, one in their 20s and the other in their 30s, were taken to private hospitals with minor injuries.
