Agricultural
21 January, 2026
New hail storm data gathering project
A unique network of monitoring stations is being installed across some of the nation’s most hail-prone locations this storm season, including one near Nobby, to better understand extreme weather events.
HailNet is gathering data from ten urban and rural sites as part of a project by University of Queensland researchers, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF).
Associate Professor Matthew Mason from UQ’s School of Civil Engineering said the 7-year monitoring study aims to fill gaps in knowledge about how hail behaves.
“Unlike other meteorological hazards like rainfall and wind, hail isn’t currently systematically monitored at ground level,” Dr Mason said.
“But hailstorms regularly damage vehicles, buildings, infrastructure and crops, particularly in South East Queensland communities.
“Even small hailstones can wipe out certain crops in the early stages of growth.”
Dr Mason said HailNet stations included sensors for both hail and wind.
“It would be useful, for example, if we’re going to design solar panels or roofing material to better resist hail that we know the full distribution of hailstone sizes falling during an event, so we know what the material has to try and resist.”
Dr Joshua Soderholm, a BOM research scientist and Honorary Research Fellow at UQ’s School of the Environment, said the project’s findings will be especially beneficial for short-term forecasting.
“Radar imagery can show hail in clouds a kilometre in the sky, but we want to know about the direct relationship between that image and what actually falls to the ground,” Dr Soderholm said.
HailNet stations are being set up at Stanthorpe, Kalbar, Nobby, Forest Hill, Gatton, North Maclean, Rocklea, Pinjarra Hills, Beerwah and Blackbutt.
“In terms of climatology South East Queensland is pretty much the hail hotspot for the entire country, so it’s an ideal location for the project,” Dr Soderholm said.
QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said Queensland’s farmers were on the frontline of extreme weather events, with hailstorms capable of wiping out crops and infrastructure in a matter of minutes.
“For some producers, hail and severe storm damage is considered a greater threat to income than drought,” Ms Sheppard said.
“High-value crops like pineapples and avocados can take years to recover from severe damage, making accurate risk data and innovative insurance tools essential to protecting livelihoods.
“Projects like HailNet are helping to fill critical data gaps, improving risk management and supporting informed decision-making across the industry.”
The most recent hailstorm in early November 2025 at Clifton wreaked havoc across the district, with reported damage at Nobby, Pratten and Allora.
Apart from damage to homes, outbuildings and businesses, there was extensive crop damage across the whole district.
Help Scientists Study Giant Hailstones
If you find hailstones larger than 10cm across, follow these steps:
1. Stay safe - wait until the storm passes and watch for hazards.
2. Preserve hail - place each hailstone into a plastic bag and freeze.
3. Collection - email hail@civil.uq.edu.au to arrange collection of hailstones.
