Sydney’s eastern suburbs reeled from a killer storm on Saturday, where a falling tree branch sealed a woman’s fate in an instant. The accident occurred at about 4 PM local time, 90 km south of the CBD, when the tree smashed into the windshield of the vehicle she was driving.
On-site medics confirmed the driver’s death, while her front passenger endured only scratches. The backseat duo walked away without a scratch, in a stroke of luck amid the mayhem.
New South Wales’ coast endured a severe weather onslaught, spawning floods in north Sydney and grounding planes at the airport. Hundreds of pleas for aid poured into emergency lines, prompting rescues of four stranded souls.
ABC spoke with Superintendent Matt Kirby, who forecasted unrelenting rains through Sunday across Sydney and adjacent regions. “Floodwaters are deceptive—stay out with your cars, and park wisely away from potential tree hazards,” he cautioned.
Police cordoned off beaches due to rogue waves, urging residents to avoid coastal hazards. Such events remind us of the precarious balance between urban life and wild weather.
In Victoria, flash flood warnings hit coastal spots Thursday, with viral videos capturing vehicles adrift near Great Ocean Road, 120 km from Melbourne. Prolonged outages hit hard, but no deaths occurred, per Erin Mason’s ABC update.
The deluge in Lorne dumped 170 mm in seven hours, eclipsing prior records. Paralleling this, bushfires ravaged Victoria, claiming 900 properties—260 homes—and 410,000 hectares, with flames still active.