Latest news with #MattCollopy
Voice of America
09-03-2025
- Climate
- Voice of America
Tropical low tracks west across Australian east coast leaving 1 dead and several injured
Flooding rains lashed the Australian east coast even though it avoided the destructive winds of its first tropical cyclone in 51 years, officials said Saturday. One person was confirmed dead and several were injured. Tropical Cyclone Alfred had been expected to become the first cyclone to cross the Australian coast near the Queensland state capital of Brisbane, Australia's third-most populous city, since 1974. But it weakened Saturday to a tropical low, which is defined as carrying sustained winds of less than 63 kph. The cyclone's remnants crossed the coast late Saturday 55 kilometers north of Brisbane and will continue to track west across the inland bringing heavy rain, the Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement. 'The real threat now is from that locally heavy-to-intense rainfall, which may lead to flash and riverine flooding,' bureau manager Matt Collopy said. Cyclones are common in Queensland's tropical north but are rare in the state's temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales state. A 61-year-old man who disappeared in a flooded river near the New South Wales town of Dorrigo was confirmed as the first casualty of the crisis when his body was recovered on Saturday, police said. Two military trucks involved in the emergency response rolled over in the town of Tregeagle in New South Wales on Saturday, injuring 13 defense personnel, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Sunday. One truck left the road and rolled several times into a paddock and the other truck tipped on its side while swerving to avoid a collision. Of the 32 Brisbane-based military personnel in the trucks, six sustained serious injuries, he said. The injured were taken to hospitals and all were expected to recover, Defense Minister Richard Marles said. A woman sustained minor injuries when an apartment building lost its roof in the Queensland border city of Gold Coast on Friday, police said. The woman was one of 21 people who were evacuated from the building. A couple sustained minor injuries when a tree crashed through the ceiling of their Gold Coast bedroom during strong winds and rain on Thursday night, officials said. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said 330,000 homes and businesses had lost power due to the storm since Thursday. No other natural disaster had created a bigger blackout in the state's history. New South Wales reported as many as 45,000 premises without electricity on Saturday. But tens of thousands had been reconnected by late in the day, officials said. Rivers were flooding in Queensland and New South Wales after days of heavy rain, the meteorology bureau said. The dead man recovered on Saturday was the only fatality among 36 flood rescues carried out by emergency teams in northern New South Wales in recent days, most involving vehicles attempting to cross floodwaters, police said.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tropical low tracks west across Australian east coast leaving 1 dead and several injured
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Flooding rains lashed the Australian east coast even though it avoided the destructive winds of its first tropical cyclone in 51 years, officials said Saturday. One person was confirmed dead and several were injured. Tropical Cyclone Alfred had been expected to become the first cyclone to cross the Australian coast near the Queensland state capital of Brisbane, Australia's third-most populous city, since 1974. But it weakened Saturday to a tropical low, which is defined as carrying sustained winds of less than 63 kph (39 mph). The cyclone's remnants crossed the coast late Saturday 55 kilometers (34 miles) north of Brisbane and will continue to track west across the inland bringing heavy rain, the Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement. 'The real threat now is from that locally heavy-to-intense rainfall, which may lead to flash and riverine flooding,' bureau manager Matt Collopy said. Cyclones are common in Queensland's tropical north but are rare in the state's temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales state. A 61-year-old man who disappeared in a flooded river near the New South Wales town of Dorrigo was confirmed the first casualty of the crisis when his body was recovered on Saturday, police said. Two military trucks involved in the emergency response rolled over in the town of Tregeagle in New South Wales on Saturday, injuring 13 defense personnel, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Sunday. One truck left the road and rolled several times into a paddock and the other truck tipped on its side while swerving to avoid a collision. Of the 32 Brisbane-based military personnel in the trucks, six sustained serious injuries, he said. The injured were taken to hospitals and all were expected to recover, Defense Minister Richard Marles said. A woman sustained minor injuries when an apartment building lost its roof in the Queensland border city of Gold Coast on Friday, police said. The woman was one of 21 people who were evacuated from the building. A couple sustained minor injuries when a tree crashed through the ceiling of their Gold Coast bedroom during strong winds and rain on Thursday night, officials said. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said 330,000 homes and businesses had lost power due to the storm since Thursday. No other natural disaster had created a bigger blackout in the state's history. New South Wales reported as many as 45,000 premises without electricity on Saturday. But tens of thousands had been reconnected by late in the day, officials said. Rivers were flooding in Queensland and New South Wales after days of heavy rain, the meteorology bureau said. The dead man recovered on Saturday was the only fatality among 36 flood rescues carried out by emergency teams in northern New South Wales in recent days, most involving vehicles attempting to cross floodwaters, police said. John Pye And Rod Mcguirk, The Associated Press
Sky News
08-03-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Cyclone Alfred: 'Worse to come', warns Australian PM - as heavy rain and flooding batter east coast
The Australian prime minister has warned there is "worse to come" after a low tropical weather system brought heavy rain, strong winds and flooding to the country's east coast. Anthony Albanese said the impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred are already being felt across parts of Queensland and New South Wales, with the hours ahead expected to bring more downpours. "We must remain vigilant. This is a very serious weather event," he said in an update on Saturday morning. "The impact will be serious and will intensify over coming hours and coming days. [It will] still bring strong winds, heavy rain, flooding and dangerous conditions over this weekend and the days beyond. "Now is the time to remain alert, stay inside and look after each other." Police confirmed that a 61-year-old man who disappeared in a flooded river near the town of Dorrigo in New South Wales had died after his body was recovered on Saturday. 0:53 Tropical Cyclone Alfred had been expected to become the first cyclone to cross the east Australian coast near the Queensland state capital since 1974. But the weather event weakened early on Saturday to a tropical low, which is defined as carrying sustained winds of less than 39mph. The cyclone came to a near-standstill off the Brisbane coast for several hours on the first day of the weekend, but it is still forecast to track west across the Australian mainland in the coming days, bringing heavy rain, Matt Collopy, manager at Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, said. Fallen trees across the region have already damaged power lines, homes and cars, while the Gold Coast's renowned beaches have become steep sandy cliffs after days of relentless erosion. A number of flood warnings are in place across the east coast, with the Bureau of Meteorology Australia warning that "rivers are rising rapidly" and flash floods also pose a "huge risk". The national forecaster said the peak of flooding is expected to be overnight on Saturday into early Sunday. Mr Albanese warned people not to take the weather downgrade as a reason to be complacent, adding that the advice of his government remains: "If it's flooded, forget it." Sarah Ndiaye, the mayor of Byron Shire in New South Wales, told Sky News that the region had "dodged a bullet" after the cyclone didn't hit as expected, but it remains a "very, very tense" situation. An estimated 19,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying homes. In Queensland, a woman sustained minor injuries when an apartment building lost its roof, officials said. She was one of 21 people who were evacuated from the building. Two other people narrowly escaped a large tree falling on their home in the Currumbin Valley in Queensland on Thursday night. They were lying only inches from where the tree came to rest in their bedroom, they said, adding both suffered minor injuries. Region's 'largest ever loss of power' More than 330,000 homes and businesses lost power on both sides of the border, a large proportion of them on the Gold Coast, which recorded the strongest gusts of 107kph (66 mph) on Friday night. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the outage is the "largest ever loss of power from a natural disaster" in the region's history. He said authorities and emergency services are "throwing everything" at restoring power to those affected and clearing roads that have been blocked by fallen debris. In its latest forecast, the Bureau of Meteorology Australia said areas experiencing the heaviest rainfall could see up to 200-300mm of rain in the next 24 hours with isolated wind gusts of up to 90kph (55mph). A severe weather warning is in place for "heavy to locally intense rainfall" and "damaging winds", covering areas to the south of Gympie in Queensland all the way down to Nambucca Heads in New South Wales. The forecaster said a "gradual easing" of the intense rainfall should be seen by Monday night, but this depends on how the system moves across the country.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
1 dead and several injured as tropical low tracks west across Australian east coast
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Flooding rains will continue for days to lash a region of the Australian east coast even though it avoided the destructive winds of its first tropical cyclone in 51 years, officials said on Saturday. One person was confirmed dead and several were injured. Tropical Cyclone Alfred had been expected to become the first cyclone to cross the Australian coast near the Queensland state capital, Brisbane, Australia's third-most populous city, since 1974. But it weakened Saturday to a tropical low, which is defined as carrying sustained winds of less than 63 kph (39 mph), then came to a near-standstill off the Brisbane coast for several hours. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The cyclone's remnant is forecast to track west across the Australian mainland in the coming days bringing heavy rain, Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy said. 'The real threat now is from that locally heavy-to-intense rainfall, which may lead to flash and riverine flooding,' Collopy told reporters. Cyclones are common in Queensland's tropical north but are rare in the state's temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales state. A 61-year-old man who disappeared in a flooded river near the New South Wales town of Dorrigo was confirmed the first casualty of the crisis when his body was recovered on Saturday, police said. Several defense personnel were injured when two military trucks involved in the emergency response collided at the town of Tregeagle in New South Wales on Saturday, police said. Nine Network television and other media reported that 36 people were injured, eight seriously, with two people trapped in the trucks. A woman sustained minor injuries when an apartment building lost its roof in the Queensland border city of Gold Coast on Friday, police said. The woman was one of 21 people who were evacuated from the building. A couple sustained minor injuries when a tree crashed through the ceiling of their Gold Coast bedroom during strong winds and rain on Thursday night, officials said. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said 330,000 homes and businesses had lost power due to the storm since Thursday. No other natural disaster had created a bigger blackout in the state's history. New South Wales reported as many as 45,000 premises without electricity on Saturday. But tens of thousands had been reconnected by late in the day, officials said. Rivers were flooding in Queensland and New South Wales after days of heavy rain, the meteorology bureau said. The missing man was the only failure among 36 flood rescues carried out by emergency teams in northern New South Wales in recent days, most involving vehicles attempting to cross floodwaters, police said.
Asharq Al-Awsat
08-03-2025
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
1 Dead and Several Injured as Tropical Low Tracks West across Australian East Coast
Flooding rains will continue for days to lash a region of the Australian east coast even though it avoided the destructive winds of its first tropical cyclone in 51 years, officials said on Saturday. One person was confirmed dead and several were injured. Tropical Cyclone Alfred had been expected to become the first cyclone to cross the Australian coast near the Queensland state capital, Brisbane, Australia's third-most populous city, since 1974. But it weakened Saturday to a tropical low, which is defined as carrying sustained winds of less than 63 kph (39 mph), then came to a near-standstill off the Brisbane coast for several hours. The cyclone's remnant is forecast to track west across the Australian mainland in the coming days bringing heavy rain, Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy said. 'The real threat now is from that locally heavy-to-intense rainfall, which may lead to flash and riverine flooding,' Collopy told reporters. Cyclones are common in Queensland's tropical north but are rare in the state's temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales state. A 61-year-old man who disappeared in a flooded river near the New South Wales town of Dorrigo was confirmed the first casualty of the crisis when his body was recovered on Saturday, police said. Several defense personnel were injured when two military trucks involved in the emergency response collided at the town of Tregeagle in New South Wales on Saturday, police said. Nine Network television and other media reported that 36 people were injured, eight seriously, with two people trapped in the trucks. A woman sustained minor injuries when an apartment building lost its roof in the Queensland border city of Gold Coast on Friday, police said. The woman was one of 21 people who were evacuated from the building. A couple sustained minor injuries when a tree crashed through the ceiling of their Gold Coast bedroom during strong winds and rain on Thursday night, officials said. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said 330,000 homes and businesses had lost power due to the storm since Thursday. No other natural disaster had created a bigger blackout in the state's history. New South Wales reported as many as 45,000 premises without electricity on Saturday. But tens of thousands had been reconnected by late in the day, officials said. Rivers were flooding in Queensland and New South Wales after days of heavy rain, the meteorology bureau said. The missing man was the only failure among 36 flood rescues carried out by emergency teams in northern New South Wales in recent days, most involving vehicles attempting to cross floodwaters, police said.
