Ten people were killed in Australia after severe thunderstorms hit the country’s east over the Christmas holiday, authorities said on Wednesday, with tens of thousands of properties still without power.
Wild weather hit the states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland on Dec 25 and 26 bringing large hail and heavy rain.
Strong winds blew off roofs and toppled trees in some of the worst affected areas.
More than 90,000 households are still without electricity.
Three men were killed after a yacht with 11 on board capsized near Green Island in Moreton Bay during a storm, Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carrol told reporters.
Two women were found dead near the town of Gympie, about 112 miles north of the state capital Brisbane, after they were swept away in a flooded storm drain, police said.
A tree falls across a camping trailer near the Gold Coast, Australia on Dec. 26, 2023. AP
A nine-year-old girl has been found dead after going missing in a storm drain south of Brisbane.
Authorities warned fast-rising rivers and creeks could destroy banks that flood the campsites, which are usually crowded during Christmas and New Year’s weeks.
A man was found dead at a camping site in Victoria after flash flooding, police said.
Ten people are now reported to have died across Australia following severe storms over the Christmas holidays. 9 Australian News
He is believed to be camping there with a woman who was found dead on Tuesday.
Two were killed by a falling tree.
The storm knocked down concrete power lines, which was “quite significant and unprecedented”, Queensland Premier Steven Miles said during a media briefing.
A Queensland resident’s bedroom is shown after it was destroyed by the deadly storm that hit the area. 9 Australian News
Miles said damage from Hurricane Jasper, which hit the state earlier this month, and recent thunderstorms could be in the “billions.”
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has forecast further rain although the wild weather is expected to ease later on Wednesday.
“Thankfully today, we don’t expect to see quite widespread thunderstorm activity but there is still a risk of severe thunderstorms across the east coast,” forecaster Jonathan How told ABC television.
A car tried to navigate flooded waters during the deadly storm that left more than 90,000 households without power. 9 Australian News
The storm follows a strong heat wave in the spring that resulted in several bushfires and after Cyclone Jasper caused widespread damage.
“When you start to piece together the experience of this summer so far it’s clear that we’re going through an era of increasing climate consequences,” said Simon Bradshaw, director of research at the independent non-profit Climate Council.
As Australia faces rain in the east, some regions in the west, on the other hand, are fighting fires. A volunteer firefighter died while responding to a bushfire, media reported.
The Australian summer December-February is under the influence of the El Nino phenomenon, which can cause extreme weather from bushfires to cyclones and prolonged droughts.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
