National death toll from thunderstorms reaches nine
With Queensland police confirm the death of a second woman at the Kidd Bridge in Gympie, and a third death in connection with the overturned boat in Moreton Bay, the national death toll from the east coast thunderstorms now stands at nine.
This includes:
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Three men aged 48, 59 and 69 have died after a boat capsized south of Green Island in Moreton Bay, Queensland.
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A nine-year-old girl, found after being lost in stormwater drains in Brisbane’s southern suburbs.
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A 40-year-old woman, one of three, swept into a storm drain at the Kidd Bridge in Gympie.
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A woman has died after a campsite in east Gippsland was hit by flash floods.
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A 59-year-old woman was hit by a falling tree on the Gold Coast.
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A man has died after a branch fell on his property in Caringal, Victoria.
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A 46-year-old woman, who was also swept away by the Kidd Bridge in floodwaters, was recovered around noon.
The bodies of two of the three people swept away in floodwaters in Gympie have now been found. The other woman made it to safety.
Key events
Queensland energy crews redeploy from Cairns to Gold Coast
The Queensland minister of energy Mick de Brenni said Energex Power grid crews were brought back early from flooding in Cairns to help restore services around the Gold Coast.
Some of the crews described the damage to the power system as unprecedented.
De Brenni said 85,700 homes and businesses in the Gold Coast and Logan areas and about 3,000 around Brisbane lost power last night, but 45,000 of those have now had their services restored.
There are approximately 950 cases of downed power lines. This is an unusually high number.
– MONKEY
Good afternoon from rainy Sydney, Mostafa Rachwani with you for the rest of the afternoon.
Emily Wind
Thanks for joining me on the blog today. You will have Mostafa Rachwani this afternoon, who will continue to bring you the latest. Take care and stay safe.
Severe thunderstorm warning for central Queensland coast
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued in the central coast and Pentecost days districts of Queenslandinterior of Mackay and including Eungella.
The Bureau warns of damaging wind gusts and large hail.
Thunderstorm death toll rises to nine
Queensland police have located a second deceased woman in a storm drain in the Mary River, nearby gym in Queensland.
This brings the national death toll associated with the East Coast thunderstorms to nine.
Police confirmed the 46-year-old Southside woman was found in the Gympie embankment at around midday.
Search efforts resumed this morning with the Water Police, SES, the police dive team and aerial assets.
The Southside woman was one of three women swept away by the Kidd Bridge in floodwaters. A 40-year-old woman was found dead at 7pm last night, while the third woman made it to safety.
Police have completed search and rescue efforts and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Gold Coast ‘not out of the woods’, New Year’s Eve events under review, mayor says
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said his city was “not out of the woods” but forecasts for brighter weather would allow the SES to attend to 800 storm-damaged homes.
He urged residents to check on vulnerable neighbors and not to go to hospital unless it was an emergency due to a 30% rise in admissions related to power outages.
We are now assessing all the New Year’s Eve event venues as it is going to be very hot and if there is a risk of fire (from fireworks) we may have to cancel some.
– MONKEY
Images are pouring in on social media of the hailstorm that hit Sydney:
Moreton Bay capsize victim identified
One of the men who died after a boat capsized Green Island in Moreton Bay was identified by the school he taught at.
Iona College in Brisbane said their “beloved” member of staff, Stephen Taitwas on board the boat and died.
In a post to Facebook, the college said:
At this sad time, our prayers are with Steve’s family, his friends, his colleagues and the wider Iona community. This is an extremely challenging time for many people.
The school said it will open its chapel on Thursday and Friday this week, with members of the community welcome to drop in to pray or reflect.
Wind and hail as three Sydney storm cells merge
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the three storm cells that moved towards Sydney have now merged into one “storm line”.
Winds and hail are expected as the line moves overhead.
It is predicted to affect Hornsby, Parramatta, Sutherland, Sydney airport and Sydney Olympic Park by 14:50 and Sydney City, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Mona Vale and water down Bondi Beach by 3:20 p.m.
Severe thunderstorm warning for third cell in Sydney area
The Bureau of Meteorology said there were three storm cells currently affecting NSW and the situation was “developing rapidly”.
At 13:55 severe thunderstorms were detected nearby Wollongong, Campbelltown and Riverstonemove to the east.
They are predicted to affect Hornsby, Parramatta, Sutherland and Sydney Olympic Park by 14:25 and Sydney City, the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Terrey Hills by 2:55 p.m.
Another update is due in the next 15-30 minutes, the Bureau said.
Plibersek pays tribute to Bill Granger
Minister for the Environment and Sydney MP Tanya Plibersek paid tribute to famous Australian cook Bill Grangerwho died at the age of 54.
In a post to X/Twitter, Plibersek said:
So very sad to hear of the death of Bill Granger. His cafes and books have given so much pleasure to so many. A Sydney icon. Condolences to his family and many friends.
So very sad to hear of the death of Bill Granger. His cafes and books have given so much pleasure to so many. A Sydney icon. Condolences to his family and many friends. pic.twitter.com/a6foNcCOR8
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) December 27, 2023
Tributes poured in throughout the day for Granger, who died surrounded by his family in London on Christmas Day. You can read more about this below:
Darren Chester says Buchan flood damage ‘one hell of a mess’
Gippsland MP Darren Chester visited Buchan after it was hit by flash floods late on Boxing Day, which left one woman dead.
The woman died after a campsite in east Gippsland was hit by flash floods last night.
In a post on Facebook, Chester said the campground would be closed “for the foreseeable future” as emergency crews investigated the tragic death.
He also noted the work of Parks Victoria in moving campers to higher ground when the flash flood first hit:
We could have experienced even greater injuries and loss of life in the dangerous conditions that developed unusually quickly, had it not been for their actions. Thanks to everyone who helped.
He described the scenes on the ground as “more like an inland tsunami” than a thunderstorm, with significant loss of property and damage to Parks Victoria infrastructure.
This is a hell of a mess and my thoughts are with the family of the woman who was killed along with the Parks Victoria staff and emergency workers who dealt with this traumatic event.
Buchan is still open to visitors and the township would appreciate your support in the days and weeks ahead.
New severe thunderstorm warnings for Sydney and NSW south coast
The Bureau of Meteorology has just issued two new severe thunderstorm warnings, one for Sydney and one for the NSW south coast.
The Bureau predicts large hail and heavy winds for parts of Sydney, Wollondilly/Wingecarribee and Greater Wollongong areas.
Along the south coast, large hailstones and damaging winds are also in the forecast Illawarra, Central Tablelands and Hunter predict districts.
National death toll from thunderstorms reaches nine
With Queensland police confirm the death of a second woman at the Kidd Bridge in Gympie, and a third death in connection with the overturned boat in Moreton Bay, the national death toll from the east coast thunderstorms now stands at nine.
This includes:
-
Three men aged 48, 59 and 69 have died after a boat capsized south of Green Island in Moreton Bay, Queensland.
-
A nine-year-old girl, found after being lost in stormwater drains in Brisbane’s southern suburbs.
-
A 40-year-old woman, one of three, swept into a storm drain at the Kidd Bridge in Gympie.
-
A woman has died after a campsite in east Gippsland was hit by flash floods.
-
A 59-year-old woman was hit by a falling tree on the Gold Coast.
-
A man has died after a branch fell on his property in Caringal, Victoria.
-
A 46-year-old woman, who was also swept away by the Kidd Bridge in floodwaters, was recovered around noon.
The bodies of two of the three people swept away in floodwaters in Gympie have now been found. The other woman made it to safety.
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