A Gold Coast couple had a miraculous escape after lightning struck their home, setting it alight as fierce thunderstorms and gale-force winds wreaked havoc across south-east Queensland.

Pimpama renter James Livermore said it was “pretty scary.”

“We were joking that you got as much chance of being hit by lightning than you do winning the lottery so we got the wrong end of the stick there,” he said.

A Kmart ceiling in Oxenford caved in during the deluge.

The wild winds and torrential rain strengthened overnight, dumping 50 to 100 millimetres across large parts of the city.

The heaviest falls were in the hinterland, with Upper Springbrook recording 141 millimetres.

Wind gusts howled at 80km/h, causing trees and signs to fall and furniture to fly off balconies.

Southport had flash flooding and powerlines were taken out in Coolangatta.

Emergency services spent today cleaning up the mess the storms left behind.

SES crews responded to multiple calls for help across the state, the majority on the Gold Coast.