Severe Storms Ravage Southeast Australia: One Dead, Thousands Without Power

Melbourne: A powerful storm system has wreaked havoc across southeastern Australia, claiming the life of a 63-year-old woman, closing schools, and leaving tens of thousands without power. The wild weather, characterized by “destructive” winds exceeding 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour), has left over 120,000 people in the dark.

In a tragic incident, a woman was killed when a tree fell on a cabin in the region. The extreme conditions have also led to the closure of several schools and warnings from authorities to avoid unnecessary travel. Coastal areas have been battered by high tides, with sand dunes being swallowed by the surging waters.

Victorian state premier Jacinta Allan has cautioned that power outages could persist for up to three days due to the hazardous conditions, which are preventing immediate repairs. “There are some areas where the conditions remain too dangerous to make repairs,” she said.

Meanwhile, in New South Wales, authorities are on high alert as the damaging winds heighten the risk of bushfires. New South Wales Rural Fire Service inspector Ben Shepherd warned that Sydney and its surrounding areas would face the highest fire danger on Monday, though conditions were expected to improve later in the day.

Tasmania has also been severely impacted, with flooding and wind gusts peaking at 150 kilometers per hour (93.2 miles per hour) over the weekend. Christie Johnson, a senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, explained that a series of cold fronts sweeping across the southeast had triggered the “damaging to destructive” winds.

As recovery efforts continue, the region braces for further challenges in the days ahead, with authorities urging residents to stay safe and heed all warnings.