Nearly 25,000 Lost Power in South-East Queensland and Victoria Following Powerful Storms
Approximately twenty-five thousand homes in south-east Queensland woke up without power on Monday's dawn after severe thunderstorms swept through the state, producing strong winds hitting over 100 km/h.
Substantial Frozen Precipitation and Extensive Damage
Homeowners witnessed substantial frozen pellets as large as 7cm in some areas. The Bureau of Meteorology announced that multiple regions across Queensland had been hit with large hailstones.
Today's weather system has severely damaged our infrastructure!
Utility workers were attempting to repair energy supply throughout the damaged zones, with dozens of response units working to manage the extensive power failures.
Victorian Weather Woes
Meanwhile, nearly 1,000 residents in Victoria also experienced electricity disruptions after the capital city experienced its wettest day in over 500 days.
State Emergency Services responded to over five hundred emergency reports across the area, mainly for building damage but also for downed trees and inundation.
Hardest Hit Locations
- The Werribee area - saw considerable storm damage
- Hoppers Crossing suburb - multiple assistance requests
- Wyndham region - 179 calls for assistance
At one point on Sunday, over 28,000 power users in Victoria were lacking electricity.
Weather Forecast
Moist weather were expected to linger along significant areas of eastern Queensland this coming days as a low-pressure trough continued to pull in damp air against the coastal areas.
The following day was predicted as the most rainy day, with continued severe weather risk anticipated across various areas of both states.
Safety Concern
Health officials alerted that there was an increased chance of epidemic thunderstorm asthma across the northern rural areas, specifically given the current weather patterns.
This alert comes after past events where analogous circumstances led to significant health impacts in the area.