Australia Weather News

Community gardens on the Darling Downs have been destroyed by hail after severe storms swept through the region.

The Bureau of Metrology said hail of between two and three centimetres in size was reported at East Greenmount near Toowoomba and Queen Mary Falls on Tuesday afternoon.

East Greenmount resident Tara Romer said the storm had shredded her community garden.

"It was like a freight train going through, there was about 53 millimetres in about 20 minutes," said Ms Romer.

"Most of it was hail, so it was pretty full-on."

Ms Romer said it was “demoralising” to see vegetables such as pumpkin destroyed in the storm.

"They all just got washed away and shredded…we were trying to put some aside for in case we didn't get much rain coming into winter," she said.

"But the house is intact and the animals are okay, so that was the most important thing.”

Ms Romer said the garden had been a special place for families seeking relief from the region's ongoing drought, but the community would try to salvage what it could.

"You've got that one little green thing and something you can keep alive, it is kind of special," she said.

"I guess we'll rebuild it. There are certain things that you can't do now ... we're at the wrong time of season.

"We'll just have to find ways around it, that's what rural people do."

Storm forecast

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said there was a slight chance of seeing hail again today.

"We have marginal conditions at the moment to see large hail around the Darling Downs and eastern Maranoa and Warrego districts," forecaster Peter Clarson said.

Severe thunderstorms were also forecast across parts of southern Queensland.

"West of Toowoomba is most likely area to be severe, extending all the way out to the eastern Maranoa and Warrego, including places like Roma," he said.

The BOM said widespread rainfall totals of more than 10 millimetres were likely across southern parts of Queensland, with isolated falls of up to 50 millimetres also possible.