Melbourne (CNN) Severe thunderstorms are pelting some regions of Australia suffering from historic wildfires with powerful rain and large hail. The storms could bring some much-needed relief to the firefighters battling some of the worst blazes the country has seen in decades. So far there hasn't been enough rain to put out the fires, and lightning from the storms has also sparked new blazes. The massive fires have also burned through some of the vegetation that would normally soak up the precipitation. The Victoria State Emergency Service posted several images on Facebook showing damage from the storm, including a sinkhole 4 meters (13 feet) deep which had opened up.

Source: CNN January 16, 2020 05:06 UTC