October 18th 2024.
A massive storm has caused widespread power outages in Victoria and South Australia, leaving thousands of homes in the dark. In the last 24 hours, the State Emergency Service in Victoria has been inundated with 650 calls for assistance, mainly from Geelong and Frankston. These areas were hit hard by a sudden downpour of 50mm of rain in just 45 minutes, resulting in flash flooding.
One of the most alarming incidents involved three people who had to be rescued from their cars after attempting to drive through floodwaters. The SES has also received reports of 100 fallen trees in Victoria, which have caused disruptions to power lines and left around 900 homes still without electricity. In South Australia, the situation is not much better, with over 1100 homes still without power. The storm brought with it strong winds of up to 130km/h and more than 130,000 lightning strikes that lit up the sky across the state.
Amidst the chaos, the Bureau of Meteorology's spokesperson Angus Hines has reassured the public that the threat of severe thunderstorms has passed and conditions are beginning to ease. He stated, "The good news is that for most of the areas, particularly the ones that were hardest hit, the weather has already calmed down. The threat of severe thunderstorms has subsided and we saw a decrease in activity overnight." However, he did mention the possibility of a few lingering showers and gusty winds throughout the day, before the weather settles into a more pleasant pattern.
Looking ahead, Hines predicts a period of fine weather with a chance of some scattered showers and cool winds, but nothing as intense as the storm that swept through the states. He added, "From this afternoon onwards, we can expect more settled conditions and a stretch of nice weather in the days to come." As the affected areas begin to recover from the storm's aftermath, it is a relief to know that the worst is behind us and the weather is expected to improve.
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