Heavy rain warning for Brisbane as thunderstorms roll in

A severe thunderstorm heading east through Brisbane has already dumped 80 millimetres of rain in half an hour, as residents were warned of possible flash flooding.

Much of the city was warned to expect heavy rain as a storm barrelled east on Sunday evening.

The Bureau of Meteorology picked up severe thunderstorms on the radar about 5.30pm.

The cells were near Samford, Albany Creek and Lake Samsonvale at the time but expected to affect Strathpine, Nudgee, Aspley, Boondall, Sandgate and Brighton by 6pm.

The Samford area picked up 80 millimetres of rain in just 30 minutes, with falls still coming, the bureau said.

Wynnum, Brisbane Airport and Kallangur could expect severe weather about half an hour later, the weather bureau said, in a severe thunderstorm warn.

A more general warning extended west all the way to Dalby, taking in much of the Wide Bay and Burnett, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, as well as the south-east coast from the Brisbane CBD north to about Caboolture.