Severe thunderstorms battered parts of eastern Australia on Saturday, bringing heavy rain, giant hail and strong winds, days after another storm hit the region over the Christmas holidays. “We’re now entering another active period of thunderstorms,” David Grant, forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said during a press briefing. About 28,000 properties are still without power and the latest storms will hamper reconnection efforts, Queensland state Premier Steven Miles told reporters. As Queensland endures its second major storm in a week, an intense heatwave was sweeping across Australia’s north and west. But mild weather is forecast for the southeast, including Sydney, on Sunday as Australia’s biggest city gears up for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 30, 2023 20:34 UTC