Australia superstorm: Brisbane hit with 4,000 lightning strikes

GlobalPost

Australia was hit by a superstorm Saturday, which pummeled southeast Queensland with 22,000 lightning strikes and left 29,500 homes without electricity. 

Brisbane alone was hit with 4,000 lightning strikes in an hour, and 11,000 strikes total, the Australian reported. In some suburbs, cars had been washed away from parking spots, and trees were uprooted, downing power lines and damaging buildings, Reuters reported

"It turned day into night,'' a Storm Emergency Service worker said, according to the Herald Sun. "It came quickly and then it left.''

More from GlobalPost: Superstorm Sandy leaves $20B in damages, 38 dead

The storm packed winds at 55 mph (90kph) and caused flash flooding and other damage throughout the region, Radio Australia reported

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Queensland, as more storms are expected for Sunday. In the meantime, cleanup crews are scrambling to get some of the debris out of the way, according to Radio Australia. 

Tom Saunders, a senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel, told the Herald Sun that the extreme storms were "likely across northeast New South Wales and southeast Queensland this weekend and have the potential to cause flash flooding, damaging winds and large hail." 

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.