Australia: East country is hit by storm,10 children killed

• Severe thunderstorms caused widespread damage in eastern Australia.
•  Australia is currently experiencing an El Niño weather phenomenon.
• The aftermath left tens of thousands of people without power.

Over Christmas and Boxing Day, severe thunderstorms wreaked havoc in eastern Australia, particularly in Queensland.

Tragically, at least 10 individuals, including a nine-year-old girl, lost their lives. The storm caused widespread damage, with many areas still grappling with power outages.

The impact extended to Victoria and New South Wales, where flooding and destructive winds took a toll.

The intensity of the winds was such that it led to the tearing off of roofs, uprooting of trees, and even pulling concrete-based electricity poles from the ground.

The aftermath left tens of thousands of people without power. Although more thunderstorms are predicted, there is hope that conditions will improve in the coming days.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever had a concrete power pole destroyed by a storm, that’s pretty significant. That’s unprecedented,” said Queensland Premier Steven Miles.

People in certain areas of New South Wales and South Australia were surprised to discover golf ball-sized hailstones covering their lawns during the summer season.

“I haven’t seen anything like this in probably the 20 years I’ve lived in the town,” a resident of Melrose in South Australia told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The most recent storms hit more than a week after severe flooding in parts of Queensland caused by Cyclone Jasper. Some areas received an entire year’s worth of rain in just a few days.

The damage from both storms is expected to be extensive, possibly running into the billions of dollars.

These weather events come after a series of heat waves that led to bushfires in states like New South Wales.

Australia is currently experiencing an El Niño weather phenomenon, known for triggering extreme events like wildfires and cyclones.

“When you start to piece together the experiences of this summer so far it is clear that we are living through an era of escalating climate consequences,” Simon Bradshaw, research director at the Climate Council – an independent communications organization – told the Reuters news agency.

Australia has faced a series of crises in recent years, including severe droughts, bushfires, and repeated record floods.

Additionally, the Great Barrier Reef has experienced six mass bleaching events. The latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issues a stark warning: unless immediate action is taken to address climate change, the frequency and severity of these disasters will likely increase.

Tragically, among the 10 people who lost their lives during the extreme weather around Christmas and Boxing Day was a nine-year-old girl named Mia Holland-McCormack.

She was found in a flooded storm drain after going missing. This underscores the human toll and urgency of addressing the impacts of climate change.

“Mia loved adventures and getting up to mischief,” reads a statement from a relative on a GoFundMe fundraising page set up to help Mia’s family following her death.

Three men lost their lives when a yacht overturned near Moreton Bay, off the coast of Cairns. Another eight individuals had to be rescued from the water in this tragic incident.

In Victoria’s Gippsland region, a man’s body was discovered; he was believed to have been camping with a woman who also perished.

Two women were found dead north of Brisbane, swept away by floodwaters into a storm drain. Additionally, two individuals lost their lives when struck by falling trees.

These incidents underscore the dangers and fatalities associated with severe weather conditions in the region.

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