Southern Australia Reels from Deadly Storms, Massive Power Outages

A woman has died and over 120,000 people were left without power after severe storms hit southern Australia. High winds and heavy rain caused widespread damage across Victoria and Tasmania. Weather warnings remain in effect, with ongoing power outages and significant property damage reported.

A woman has died and more than 120,000 people were left without power following severe winds and heavy rainfall in southern Australia, authorities confirmed on Monday.

Widespread damage was reported in Victoria and Tasmania, with a 63-year-old woman losing her life after a tree fell on a holiday park cabin at the Victoria-New South Wales border, emergency services stated.

"It's a sad and tragic set of circumstances for the woman's family, and my thoughts and sympathy go out to her and the emergency services who responded to that incident," said Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan during a news conference. She noted that Victoria's State Emergency Services had received over 2,800 calls, largely regarding fallen trees and structural damage.

As of Monday, 121,000 people remained without power, down from 180,000 earlier in the day. Weather warnings are ongoing for much of the state's southeast coast, with winds reaching almost 150 km/h (93 mph).

The Victoria state government advised people to avoid coastal areas due to dangerous waves, unstable cliffs, and flooding in low-lying regions. Tasmania also faced severe weather, leaving thousands without power on Sunday. "We've seen another wild night of weather across the state with extensive destruction," Tasmania's State Emergency Services Executive Director, Mick Lowe, remarked during a Monday news conference.

Extreme weather events are not uncommon in Australia. These storms in the south followed several days of unseasonably high winter temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.

(With inputs from agencies.)