Storm lashes Qld town

A powerful storm has ripped through a southeast Queensland town, with wild winds snapping trees in half.

The storm hit Kenilworth in the Sunshine Coast hinterland on Thursday afternoon.

One resident described the storm as a "mini tornado" while photos on Twitter showed tree trunks broken in half.

Strong winds also damaged powerlines and left shops and homes damaged, but no injuries were reported.

Rural firefighter Neil Reinhardt said the storm hit suddenly.

"We weren't warned, we couldn't believe it, how strong and what destruction it caused," he told ABC radio.

The storm was confined to Kenilworth, 50km inland the coast, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said.

Further thunderstorms are possible in the region on Friday.