Residents in Dakabin said it felt like “living in a sauna” after the power went out just after 7:00 p.m., leaving homes sweltering in the evening heat.
Homes in Dakabin were plunged into darkness just after 7:00 p.m. this week as another line of severe storms rolled across south-east Queensland. With air conditioners and fans suddenly cut off, residents took to social media to vent about the stifling conditions.
“To everyone in Dakabin who is currently living in a sauna, I think I’m definitely buying a generator,” one resident wrote in a Facebook group.
The outage in Dakabin came on top of days of rolling storms and blackouts across the region. By early Friday morning, 28 November, more than 3,000 homes and businesses across Queensland were still without power, including hundreds in Brisbane and more than a thousand in the City of Moreton Bay.
Storms, blackouts and brutal humidity
Thursday’s storms were the fifth straight day of severe weather for south-east Queensland. Thunderstorms swept repeatedly across Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the City of Moreton Bay and the Gold Coast, bringing hail up to 4–5 centimetres in places, destructive wind gusts and almost two million lightning strikes recorded between Sunday and Thursday.
Residents described homes turning into “saunas” after the power went out, with hot, humid air hanging in the still rooms through the night. With no air-conditioning and limited ability to cool down, households were left to ride out the conditions in the dark.
Power crews worked to repair downed lines and damaged infrastructure, with repeated storm cells and widespread damage affecting restoration efforts across the south-east. In some areas, lines were still down late into the week, forcing families to throw out spoiled food and find ways to cope with the heat without power.
Heatwave on top of a storm belt
The blackout in Dakabin did not happen in isolation. Queensland is in the grip of a severe heatwave, with temperatures running between 2 and 8 degrees above the November average in many areas.
In the Greater Brisbane region, the mercury climbed into the mid-30s, with the “feels like” temperature nudging 40 degrees at times as humidity surged. Brisbane reached 33.8 degrees just before 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, while Amberley hit 35.5 degrees with an apparent temperature close to 38.4 degrees. Further inland, towns such as Birdsville, Longreach and Julia Creek topped 40 degrees, as hot air from central Australia spread across Queensland and New South Wales.
Meteorologists say that combination of heat and moisture has fuelled the repeated storms hitting Queensland this week. A hot, humid air mass sits over the state like a lid, while a low-pressure trough moving in from the west acts as a trigger, helping to “knock over the first domino” and kick off severe thunderstorms.
Low to severe-intensity heatwaves are continuing across central and eastern Queensland, with severe conditions affecting the north tropical coast, central coast, Wide Bay/Burnett coast and the south-east coast, extending into northern New South Wales. Authorities warn that the heat is making it difficult for people to manage heat stress, particularly during extended periods of hot days and warm nights.
Warnings to stay cool and stay prepared
The Bureau of Meteorology has urged residents across south-east Queensland to take the heat and storms seriously, advising people to stay indoors where possible, stay hydrated and check in on vulnerable family and neighbours. Severe thunderstorms are expected to be most likely from late morning to late afternoon, with the possibility of continuing into the evening in some areas.
Fire danger ratings remain high in several inland districts, including the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, Channel Country, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Maranoa and Warrego, and Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders. In the south-east, fire danger is lower, but authorities say the combination of storms, wind, heat and lightning remains a hazard.
Daily routines continue between storm cells, even as neighbours swap stories about the blackout and how they coped without power. With forecasters warning of more storms on the way and heat lingering into the weekend, Dakabin’s “sauna” week may not be the last time the suburb faces hot conditions during a blackout.
Published 28-Nov-2025
