Nearly 25,000 Left Without Power in South-East Queensland and Victoria Following Intense Storms
Nearly 25,000 households in south-east Queensland found themselves experiencing outages on Monday's dawn after severe thunderstorms swept through the area, generating powerful gusts hitting 109km/h.
Substantial Ice Stones and Widespread Damage
Locals witnessed substantial frozen pellets measuring up to seven centimeters in particular locations. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that multiple regions across Queensland had been hit with significant hail.
This afternoon's storm has severely damaged our network!
Emergency crews were working to restore power throughout the damaged zones, with dozens of response units activated to manage the extensive power failures.
Victorian Weather Woes
Meanwhile, approximately one thousand energy customers in the southern state also experienced power outages after the metropolitan area experienced its wettest day in a year and a half.
Rescue organizations responded to over five hundred emergency reports across the area, mainly for property damage but also for downed trees and flooding.
Hardest Hit Areas
- Werribee - recorded substantial storm damage
- Hoppers Crossing suburb - numerous assistance requests
- Wyndham - nearly 180 calls for assistance
At one point on Sunday, more than twenty-eight thousand energy customers in Victoria were without power.
Weather Forecast
Humid circumstances were expected to linger along much of eastern Queensland this next several days as a weather pattern continued to draw in moisture against the shoreline.
Tomorrow was forecast to be the most rainy day, with ongoing thunderstorm potential predicted across various areas of both states.
Medical Alert
Public health experts warned that there was an higher risk of thunderstorm-induced asthma across the northern rural areas, specifically given the ongoing climate situation.
This warning comes after past events where comparable situations led to major medical consequences in the state.