Australia news live: Victorian opposition drops support for treaty; cyclone threat hangs over Queensland | Australia news – Beragampengetahuan

WA power outages

Checking in with the power outages in Western Australia, following recent thunderstorms and bushfires:

• As of yesterday afternoon there were 2400 people across the Western Power network still without power, down from 3800 the previous afternoon.

• There are 400 people without power in Perth Hills, and around 1800 in the Wheatbelt.

• Western Power is continuing to work with the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council, after nearly all homes and businesses in Kalgoorlie lost power last week. This was because the 220KV transmission line that supplies Kalgoorlie sustained significant damage from the storm front, and five transmission towers were down.

• 10,000 customers in the Goldfields had power returned after crews utilised an undamaged section of the 220KV line, using the 132KV network.

• Kalgoorlie is currently being powered by a combination of Western Power network assets, Synergy’s back-up generator and a local privately owned generator.

• Western Power said a solution is being finalised for the 220kV line, with construction beginning yesterday and expected to take seven or eight days.

Western Power said:

While some restorations times are unknown, rest assured we have all available crews working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to all remaining customers.

Woman and child pulled from burning car on major route

A woman and child have suffered burns following a serious crash that blocked a major highway connecting Sydney with major centres in central-western New South Wales, AAP reports.

Emergency services responded to the crash between a car and a truck on the Great Western Highway at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains about 6.30am this morning.

Fire and Rescue NSW superintendent Adam Dewberry said the vehicle was on fire when crews arrived:

Passers-by pulled both of the occupants, a lady and a child, out of the vehicle.

Firefighters commenced emergency medical treatment on the child that was suffering some pretty serious burns.

Paramedics treated the woman and child for burns at the scene before transferring them to hospital.

The driver of the truck was taken to Blue Mountains hospital for mandatory testing.

A crime scene was established as officers attached to the Crash investigation unit look into the circumstances.

The Great Western Highway was closed in both directions between Explorers Road and Medlow Bath. Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use Bells Line of Road instead.

Northern Queenslanders told to start preparing for cyclone

A cyclone watch has been issued for northern Queensland communities between Ayr and St Lawrence.

The Bureau of Meteorology said gales with damaging wind gusts up to 120km/h may develop about these coastal communities as early as Wednesday morning, and extend to adjacent inland areas later that day.

Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding may also develop in these communities on Wednesday, before spreading further north during Thursday and into Friday.

From Friday, the system is expected to become an inland rain depression.

As the system approaches the coast, a storm tide is possible between Ayr and St Lawrence, and large waves may produce minor flooding along the foreshore.

The BoM said people between Ayr to St Lawrence, including Mackay and the Whitsunday Islands, should consider what action they will take if the cyclone threat increases.

The Queensland fire and emergency service said:

Our personnel are highly experienced in cyclone response and are ready to act, but now is the beragampengetahuan to prepare yourself and your home.

Weather summary for across Australia

With so much weather news across the country today, here is a breakdown of the different weather events, and where they are being felt:

Heatwave:

• Extreme to severe intensity heatwave conditions are being felt over the Pilbara in Western Australia, and parts of northwestern South Australia.

• Severe to low intensity conditions are being felt over the remaining parts of central and southern WA, parts of the Northern Territory and SA, central Queensland and isolated pockets across the central east.

• Low intensity heatwave conditions remain for inland New South Wales and parts of northern Victoria, parts of Queensland including Brisbane and Cairns, and parts of SA including Adelaide.

• Queensland’s power system is expected to hit a new record peak demand today.

Monsoon/Tropical low:

• A tropical low has been sitting over the NT for days on end, continuing to bring heavy rainfall and flooding.

• The government will today decide if it will evacuate 450 people from the remote town of Kalkarindji amid flooding of the Victoria River.

• The tropical low is moving to WA, where a severe weather warning has been issued, affecting parts of the Kimberly and northern interior districts.

• Six-hourly rainfall totals of 150-200mm around the low are possible.

Tropical Cyclone Kirrily:

• A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to develop into cyclone Kirrily late today.

• It is expected to approach the Queensland coast as a severe category-three cyclone on Thursday, somewhere between Cairns and Mackay.

• Emergency management minister Murray Watt said preparations are underway to respond as needed.

Emergency weather warning remains for Kimberley, WA

An emergency weather alert for the Kimberley in Western Australia remains in place, urging people to take action and stay safe with severe rainfall and potential flash flooding to come.

The department of fire and emergency services said Halls Creek and Balgo may be impacted.

The Bureau of Meteorology advised early this morning that a tropical low is forecast to move south-west today and reach the Pilbara tomorrow and Wednesday.

Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is likely over the southeastern Kimberly and parts of the North Interior today, with scattered six-hourly rainfall totals between 90-150mm likely.

Locally intense rainfall which may lead to “dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding” is also possible with thunderstorms during this period, with six-hourly rainfall totals between 150-200mm.

A flood watch is current for the East Kimberley, Fitzroy River, Sturt Creek District, Sandy Desert and De Grey River.

A note to all parents out there: as of today, mobile phones are now banned or restricted in all public schools across the country, education minister Jason Clare said.

Victorian opposition withdraws its support for a treaty

Benita Kolovos

NT flooding

As flagged just earlier, the government will today decide if it will evacuate 450 people from the remote Northern Territory town of Kalkarindji amid flooding of the Victoria River.

Here are the latest details on this flooding from the Bureau of Meteorology, issued yesterday afternoon:

• Significant river level rises are being observed across the Victoria River catchment following days of heavy rain.

• Rainfall totals of between 80mm to 370mm have been recorded in the previous three-day period to yesterday morning.

• Heavy to intense rain is expected across the catchment into today.

• Major flooding is occurring at Kalkarindji, with river levels approaching the 1991 record at Victoria River crossing.

• The Victoria River at Kalkarindji was at 14 metres and rising yesterday.

• River levels are above most road crossings and bridges, including: Victoria River at Victoria Highway Crossing; Wickham River at Williams Crossing; Victoria River at Dashwood Crossing and further downstream at Coolibah Crossing.

• A flood watch is current for the North Western and parts of Central NT.

• A severe weather warning for heavy, locally intense rainfall is current for the Gregory and Tanami districts, including the Victoria River catchment.

‘You can always rely on losing power,’ Cairns mayor says

Cairns mayor Terry James said his community was hard at work cleaning up after Tropical Cyclone Jasper, while also making the necessary preparations for Cyclone Kirrily, expected to form in the Coral Sea and make landfall on Thursday.

Speaking to beragampengetahuan Breakfast, James said there were long-term effects from Jasper, including some damaged bridges and roads, but all-in-all Cairns is “open for business”.

There were “still a lot of people not in their houses”, he said:

Spare a thought for them … we are doing our best to get them back into their houses as soon as possible.

Turning to Kirrily, he said “you can always rely on getting rain” no matter where the cyclone makes landfall:

It doesn’t matter where the system crosses, you can always rely on losing power, even if it crosses down near Mackay somewhere, Cairns can potentially lose power [but] we are ready for this.

Our crews are out and about making sure all the drains and the drainage systems are clear, particularly for flooding, and that’s usually what we will cop after this event.

Defence on standby to evacuate NT town amid flooding