The Insurance Council of Australia has declared a catastrophe as claims roll in following hail and strong wind in southeast Queensland over the past two days.

Golf and tennis ball-sized hail fell in some locations yesterday, and more than 16,000 claims across more than 140 postcodes have been received so far.

“While it’s too early to estimate the insurance damage bill, we expect to see claims numbers continue to rise over the coming days as power returns to homes,” ICA deputy CEO Kylie Macfarlane said. 

“This event comes off the back of recent widespread rainfall and storm activity across similarly impacted regions, and insurers are focused on processing claims ... as quickly as possible.”

Suncorp says it has received 6890 claims from southeast Queensland and northern NSW, including more than 3060 home and 3700 motor cases.

The insurer’s severe weather meteorologist Andrew Bufalino says the supercell catastrophe was triggered by a weather pattern similar to those that produced events such as the 2008 Gap Storm and the 2014 Brisbane hailstorm. 

“While giant hailstones were the defining hazard of this event, damaging wind gusts were also recorded,” he said. 

RACQ Insurance CEO Trent Sayers says the insurer had received 3603 claims – including 2006 for motor and 1597 for home – as of 9.30am today.

“We know the areas of Logan, Moreton Bay and Brisbane’s eastern suburbs bore the brunt, with large hail causing damage to vehicles and homes, including smashed windscreens, water leaks through roofs and trees and debris blocking roads,” he said.

The Bureau of Meteorology says hailstones greater than 8-10cm in diameter were reported in many Brisbane suburbs and more hail, damaging wind and heavy to locally intense rain may follow today.

Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury says low-pressure areas across eastern Australia are driving the storms.

“They are tapping into moisture from areas further north and dragging it down into those storm areas,” she said. “That is combining with very warm conditions and the troughs are acting as a trigger for thunderstorms.”

Electricity distribution company Energex says 96,000 customers were without power this morning, and more than 64,000 had service restored overnight.

About 880,000 lightning strikes were recorded and wind speeds topped 100km/h.  

ICA says insurers are also closely monitoring and prioritising NT and WA claims resulting from Cyclone Fina, with volumes low to date.

Four weeks ago the peak body declared a hailstorm affecting the Brisbane region on October 26 a “significant event”.

The latest storms end a severe weather lull in recent months. ICA declared Mid North Coast and Hunter floods in May a significant event, and Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and North Queensland floods earlier in the year were labelled catastrophes.