Australia experiences the highest snowfall in decades... and power outages affecting tens of thousands

Australian authorities announced that a severe storm hit the east of the country, causing unprecedented heavy snowfall in twenty years, along with floods and torrents that disrupted traffic and led to power outages in thousands of homes.

The New South Wales emergency service confirmed that some areas witnessed snowfall of about 50 centimeters on Saturday, while other areas recorded heavy rainfall exceeding 10 centimeters, with weather conditions gradually improving throughout Sunday.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, parts of the northwestern New England region experienced the highest snowfall in two decades, while the Sydney Morning Herald reported that some areas in the neighboring state of Queensland saw their first snowfall in 10 years.

The emergency service indicated that it received more than 1455 reports, while over 100 vehicles were stranded due to heavy snow, and the storms caused damage to several buildings, with warnings of potential flash floods.

Reports indicated that tens of thousands of homes remained without electricity overnight.

In New South Wales, the most populous state, police stated that a woman in her twenties was swept away by floodwaters after her car was stranded on Saturday evening, noting that search operations for her are still ongoing as of Sunday.