Australian authorities said on Wednesday (December 27) that during the Christmas holidays, severe thunderstorms hit eastern Australia, killing eight people, leaving one missing, and tens of thousands of homes still without power.
On 25 and 26 December, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland were all experiencing severe weather with heavy hail and heavy rainfall. In some of the worst-hit areas, strong winds swept away rooftops and knocked down many trees.
Queensland Police Commissioner Carroll said a yacht carrying 11 people capsized near Green Island in Moreton Bay, killing three people. A nine-year-old girl and a woman died in Queensland after being swept away by water from a drain**, and two others were crushed to death by a fallen tree.
Authorities have warned that the water level of rivers and streams is rising rapidly and could burst their banks, flooding campsites. Australian campsites are usually bustling with activity during the Christmas and New Year periods.
In Victoria, ** said the body of a woman was found at a local campground after the floodwaters receded.
Queensland's state-owned energy company reported that more than 90,000 households were still without power after the storm. With hundreds of power poles falling in the storm, it took days to restore power.
Australian Bureau of Meteorology** will still see rain for the next few days, although severe weather will ease later Wednesday.