Latest news Extreme weather in Australia: evacuations and power cuts
Extreme weather with heavy rain and storms has caused severe flooding and widespread power outages in parts of Australia.
02.09.2024, 12:38
SDA
On the island of Tasmania, the authorities issued evacuation orders for six towns around the Derwent River. The National Meteorological Office had previously issued a flood warning for the river. The southern parts of the country were particularly affected by the storms.
In Tasmania and the state of Victoria with the metropolis of Melbourne, more than 100,000 people were temporarily without power, as reported by the ABC. Chris Kilby, a farmer from Westwood in the north of Tasmania, spoke of "absolutely terrible winds". The storm covered roofs and uprooted trees. A 63-year-old woman was killed when a tree crushed a vacation cottage in Moama on the border between New South Wales and Victoria.
Sydney was also affected: Dozens of flights had to be canceled at the megacity's airport due to the storm. Only one of the runways could be used, an airport spokesperson told Sky News Australia.
Heat records in the west and north
The extreme weather in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, on the other hand, has been completely different: new heat records for the time of year have been broken here recently - it is winter down under.
In the Kimberley region, which is popular with tourists, 41.5 degrees were measured at the weather station in Yampi Sound last week. This was the highest temperature ever recorded at this time of year. Overall, August was the warmest month in Australia since weather records began, according to the Weatherzone weather service. The country is particularly affected by the consequences of climate change.
