Hah! The BoM predicted a day ago that we would have no more rain until April or May

I initially put this up on my Australian Politics blog but it clearly has a place here too

So we have just had tonight the most colossal downpour in Brisbane.  It came down like a waterfall for a solid hour.  It reminded me of my boyhood in tropical Innisfail, where they measured their annual rainfall in yards -- 7 yards, usually.

I don't know how widely it rained but I would be surprised if there are any bushfires still burning anywhere near Brisbane.  It was such a powerful downpour that there must have been a big weather system behind it, suggesting that the rain would have been widespread.  New Zealand had heavy weather -- planes grounded etc. -- a few days ago -- so maybe that system reached us.

When the rivers drain all the catchments, Lake Manchester will be full and even Wivenhoe will be up a few inches. Lake Moogerah too. Both needed it.  No water rationing for Brisbane!  Sydney eat your heart out.

We did have a blackout where I am.  There was a huge crack of thunder about 10 minutes into the storm and everything went out.  I had started putting up my blogs a bit early as I foresaw a blackout.  So I had finished that only seconds before the blackout.  The electricty workers were good.  The power was back on only 45 minutes after the end of the storm

UPDATE BELOW:

Brisbane smashed in powerful rainstorm

Brisbane has been hit by a powerful rainstorm overnight, with more than 100 millimetres [4 inches in the old money] falling in the space of an hour.

The storm passed through Darling Downs and the Scenic Rim before hitting Brisbane and Moreton Bay just after 10pm.

The downpour caused flash flooding as drains struggled to cope with the amount of water gushing through them and almost 2000 homes lost power at the height of the storm.

There was localised flooding at Ipswich Road, Stanley Street, the Pacific Motorway near east Brisbane and on Duke and Vulture Street in Wooloongabba. Some streets in Annerley were also affected.

At Brisbane Airport. Wind gusts hit 80km/h with some flights being diverted as a result.

There were no significant reports of damage to property.

SOURCE 

Further update here