Lightning seen from the Anzac Memorial Bridge in Newcastle, Australia. |Photo courtesy: Getty Images
Tens of thousands of people were without power in Australia’s New South Wales state on Saturday (18 January 2025) as a low-pressure system brought damaging winds and heavy rain, triggering flood warnings.
About 28,000 people were without power in Sydney, the state capital and Australia’s largest city, and about 15,000 people were without power in neighboring Newcastle and the Hunter region, power company Ausgrid said on its website Saturday morning.
The state’s Emergency Services Agency said on its website that it had fielded 2,825 calls for assistance since Friday, most of them for properties with downed trees or wind damage.
In a statement announcing the disaster relief funding, Federal Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister said: “The situation remains dynamic and we need to keep people in affected areas up to date with the latest emergency warnings. “I urge everyone to get their hands on one and follow the advice of emergency services.”
Forecasters said there were warnings for flooding, wind damage and heavy rain in many parts of the state, adding that wind gusts of up to 100km/h were likely in the high mountains.
The warning was issued after storms knocked down trees and power lines in New South Wales this week, leaving 200,000 people without power, local media reported.
Australia’s science agency announced last year that short periods of heavy rain are becoming more intense in Australia due to climate change. The agency also warned of more heatwaves, coastal flooding, drought and fire weather in the wildfire-prone country of about 27 million people.
issued – January 18, 2025 6:37am IST
