At least eight people have been killed and one person is missing after severe thunderstorms hit the east of Australia, police have said.
Storms brought high winds, large hailstones and torrential rain across the eastern states on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Victoria and Queensland Police confirmed the deaths of eight people, the youngest a nine-year-old girl, who was reportedly swept away in a flooded storm drain.
Three men were killed after a large boat with 11 on board capsized near Green Island in Moreton Bay, Queensland.
Tens of thousands of households have been left without power.
Queensland Australia. Pic: Genevieve Faulkner
Meanwhile, the search continues for a missing 46-year-old woman who was caught in floodwaters in the city of Gympie.
“It’s absolutely tragic news for families in this region at Christmas time,” Glen Hartwig, mayor of the Gympie region, told ABC news.
Pic: Genevieve Faulkner
A 29-year-old woman was rescued by Victoria Police after being swept away by fast running waters of the Werribee River.
She was swept 20 metres downstream after entering the water to try and save her dog, Minka, police said.
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The Bureau of Meteorology warned further rain is forecast and minor flood warnings are in place after rivers burst their banks.
Pic: Genevieve Faulkner
Queenland’s state-owned Energex said on Wednesday that around 86,000 households remained without electricity following the storms.
It said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, it had sustained severe damage to its network with more than 800 power lines down.