Severe Weather warning for Australia
Pastor Dale Morgan
Severe Weather warning for Australia*
By Laine Clark
July 05, 2007 07:50pm
Article from: AAP
A SEVERE weather warning has been issued after gusts of up to 90km/h
snapped trees, downed power lines and fanned bushfires in southeast
Queensland.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning late today for the Darling
Downs west of Brisbane to the state's southeast coast and did not expect
winds averaging 60km/h to ease until tomorrow morning.
“A deep low pressure system east of Bass Strait is slowly intensifying
which is enhancing a vigorous west to southwest airflow over NSW and
south-east Queensland,” a spokesman said.
Energy provider Energex today said more than 15,000 homes and businesses
lost power after strong winds blew trees and branches onto powerlines.
Crews were expected to work throughout the night to restore power.
Worst hit areas included Ipswich and surrounding areas, Caboolture and
the Gold Coast hinterland.
Powerlines had also been brought down in the Brisbane suburbs of Herston
and Logan.
At New Farm in central Brisbane, a tree snapped and crushed two cars.
A woman and her children got out of one of the parked cars just minutes
before it was smashed by the tree, Channel 7 reported.
Strong winds also fanned several bushfires in south-east Queensland.
A fire at Mount Nathan on the Gold Coast is expected to spread
extensively overnight due to strong winds.
A Queensland Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said the blaze could spread up
to 500ha overnight.
Eleven crews and three water tankers were on standby tonight as
firefighters prepared to protect nearby houses.
But the spokeswoman said there was no threat yet to properties.
Another grass fire was sparked approximately 200m from houses at The Gap
in Brisbane's north, but crews have been able to bring it under control
without any damage to property.
Twelve crews were called to a blaze on Mossybank Road at Eudlo on the
Sunshine Coast shortly after midday today but had the fire under control
late today.
The fire was still burning in inaccessible bushland tonight, with crews
focusing their efforts on protecting any property that came under
threat, the spokeswoman said.
But no property had been damaged by fire as yet, she said at 7pm.