Australia's East Coast Searched by Storms as Residents Allowed to Return Home
The eastern coast of Australia has been battered by severe storms in recent days, claiming one life and threatening dozens more. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported a total of 1,403 calls for help in just 24 hours, with many of those calls coming from flood-prone areas.
Residents who were evacuated from Sydney's northern beaches overnight on Saturday have been given the all-clear to return home. Narrabeen Lagoon, where many people were forced to leave their homes, is now safe to visit again. However, authorities are warning residents to remain vigilant and take precautions to stay safe.
The storms have caused widespread damage, including a landslide that damaged three homes and injured one woman in the Great Mackerel area. SES crews worked tirelessly to respond to the calls for help, with at least 20 people rescued from floodwaters who had been driving through them.
In addition to the flooding, strong winds were also causing chaos along the coast, with warnings issued for hazardous surf stretching from Newcastle to Batemans Bay and Eden. Coffs Harbour to the Illawarra was also battered by strong gusts, further exacerbating the situation.
Queensland has also been hit hard by the storms, with wild weather dumping up to 60mm of rain on parts of the state. Laidley and Brightview in Queensland's Lockyer Valley region were particularly affected, with over 2,000 properties still without power due to damage from trees and roofs being torn off homes.
The situation is expected to remain dire for much of the week, with major flooding forecast for central Queensland. Low-lying areas of Rockhampton are at risk of inundation, and residents are advised to take all necessary precautions to stay safe.
In contrast, sunny skies were expected in Melbourne on the first day of the Australian Open's main draw, while Adelaide was set to be a scorcher with temperatures reaching 36C. Storms and heavy rain were forecast for Darwin, with temperatures expected to reach 31C.
The eastern coast of Australia has been battered by severe storms in recent days, claiming one life and threatening dozens more. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported a total of 1,403 calls for help in just 24 hours, with many of those calls coming from flood-prone areas.
Residents who were evacuated from Sydney's northern beaches overnight on Saturday have been given the all-clear to return home. Narrabeen Lagoon, where many people were forced to leave their homes, is now safe to visit again. However, authorities are warning residents to remain vigilant and take precautions to stay safe.
The storms have caused widespread damage, including a landslide that damaged three homes and injured one woman in the Great Mackerel area. SES crews worked tirelessly to respond to the calls for help, with at least 20 people rescued from floodwaters who had been driving through them.
In addition to the flooding, strong winds were also causing chaos along the coast, with warnings issued for hazardous surf stretching from Newcastle to Batemans Bay and Eden. Coffs Harbour to the Illawarra was also battered by strong gusts, further exacerbating the situation.
Queensland has also been hit hard by the storms, with wild weather dumping up to 60mm of rain on parts of the state. Laidley and Brightview in Queensland's Lockyer Valley region were particularly affected, with over 2,000 properties still without power due to damage from trees and roofs being torn off homes.
The situation is expected to remain dire for much of the week, with major flooding forecast for central Queensland. Low-lying areas of Rockhampton are at risk of inundation, and residents are advised to take all necessary precautions to stay safe.
In contrast, sunny skies were expected in Melbourne on the first day of the Australian Open's main draw, while Adelaide was set to be a scorcher with temperatures reaching 36C. Storms and heavy rain were forecast for Darwin, with temperatures expected to reach 31C.
! I feel bad for those people who lost their power or had to leave their homes due to flooding - 2k properties still without power in Lockyer Valley, that's crazy 
. And with the forecast saying major flooding is coming to central Qld, it's definitely a good idea for residents to take precautions and stay safe 
. On a more positive note, at least Melbourne got some sunshine on day one of the Aussie Open, and Adelaide is gonna be scorcher hot 
!
storms can b super harsh, but i think australia's handled it pretty well, considering 
SES crews did an amazing job rescuing ppl from floodwaters & damage is being assessed ASAP 
also, ppl in melbourne got to enjoy some sunny vibes while others were dealin with the aftermath, that's just life, right? 
. Australia is already beautiful but when it's hit by storms like this, it can be devastating. I'm glad some of the residents in Sydney got the all-clear to go back home, though 
. And poor Queensland, they're getting slammed with rain too 
. But at least the sunny weather is coming to Melbourne for the Aussie Open 
. But now, with all the climate change stuff happening, it's like the weather is getting more unpredictable by the minute 
I'm glad those SES crews were able to respond so quickly and rescue people from floodwaters. But at the same time, it's just heartbreaking that people had to be evacuated from their homes in the first place 
.
️. 2,000 properties without power? That's just devastating for people who are already struggling to cope with the aftermath of the storms 
also whats up w/ the power outages in queensland? did they get any help from other states or somethin'?
but seriously, 1,403 calls for help in 24 hours is crazy 
SES crews doing their best to rescue ppl trapped in floodwaters 
I mean, I know it's not fair to expect that, but come on! The Australian Open is supposed to be this huge deal, and instead everyone's dealing with this mess 
.
. We need to do better than this, Australia! Can we please just have a calm, peaceful week for once?! 
SES crews r doing awesome work 
sunshine is always good but also really weird how australia can have storms like this on the east coast and sunny days on the other side of the country atm 
this storm situation is so intense! i drew a quick diagram to show the affected areas:
. But I guess it's good that some areas are finally being given the all-clear to return home 
are they saying that this is just a normal part of life in australia or something? and how do people usually deal with floods and landslides in australia? 