HAILSTORMS ripped across Brisbane's western and northern suburbs last night, blocking roads, felling trees and bringing down powerlines.

The sudden storms caught the city by surprise after the weather bureau's radar failed.

More than 160 homes were damaged, 6400 were left without power, and some cars in peak-hour traffic were stranded in drifts of hailstones up to a metre deep.

As more than 150 lightning strikes hit Brisbane, the city's airport was closed for an hour, stranding 14 passenger jets.

The icy deluge created floods in inner-west suburbs, damaged the Fourex brewery at Milton and forced Toowong-based ABC TV to replace its 7pm news with a NSW bulletin after transmission equipment and offices were inundated.

Brisbane's traffic arteries including the Inner City Bypass, Coronation Drive, Gympie and Sandgate roads were blocked. Some motorists at Milton tried to shovel hail off the road.

The storm cut power to homes in Annerley, Coorparoo, East Brisbane, Norman Park, Holland Park West, Moorooka, Tarragindi, Chelmer, Graceville, Sunnybank and Sherwood. Power was restored to many just before 7pm.

The radar failure meant a warning was not issued until almost half an hour after the first hail strike.

There were no weather bureau warnings before the storms hit Darra about 5.30pm and Indooroopilly 15 minutes later.

At 5.50pm, as drivers battled peak-hour traffic in the deluge, the bureau website showed heavy storms but no hail warnings. It was 5.58pm before any warning appeared.

Bureau spokesman Bruce Gunn said radar equipment failed about 5pm and was not working until after 5.30pm. Warnings were issued as soon as forecasters were able to study the extent of the storms.

"It peaked during that period when our equipment was down," he said.

Mr Gunn said initial reports of storms did not indicate the extent of them. He said a hailstorm in late May was "very unseasonal".

Motorcyclist Carl Davis, 31, of Camira, expected bruises today from the hail.

"I left home and knew it was going to storm but I didn't know it was going to be this bad," he said. "I was stuck behind a truck trying to get shelter then I rode up underneath a bridge."

Fire crews worked to clear thick hail from roads, including Countess St and Caxton St, where residents helped rescue cars stuck in the ice. Pedestrians around Suncorp Stadium found the pea-sized hail was in drifts thick enough for them to make snow figures.

Shaun O'Connor of Milton used the storm to carve a footpath snow angel and fill his esky.

"We thought we'd come and put the beer on ice. It's never tasted better," he said."