Two killed as wild weather emergency turns deadly
Source: QFD
Two people who were swept off a pier have died as wild and dangerous winds wreaked mayhem in Victoria on Wednesday.
The men plunged into a fierce swell at Melbourne’s Frankston Beach, with police responding to reports of two people in trouble in the water.
After a search of Port Phillip Bay, the police helicopter found the pair unresponsive in the water just after 5pm. Both men were winched back to shore but could not be revived.
The two victims are yet to be formally identified.
Victoria Police will prepare reports for the coroner.
Frankston Mayor Kris Bolam said the devastating event was a reminder of the “power of nature and the real risk posed by severe weather”.
“It is with profound sadness that I acknowledge two people have tragically lost their lives today after being swept from the Frankston Pier during extreme wind conditions,” Bolam said.
“On behalf of the entire Frankston City community, I extend our deepest condolences to their families, friends and loved ones. We share in your grief and stand with you during this heartbreaking time.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved in the courageous rescue effort this afternoon, and our thoughts remain with everyone impacted by today’s tragedy.”
He urged the community to continue to heed weather warnings.
“At this time, I ask everyone to stay safe, remain vigilant, and if in doubt, stay off the water and away from exposed coastal structures until conditions improve,” he said.
Victorians faced destructive gusts pushing up to 125km/h along the coast on Wednesday, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines said.
At Malvern, in Melbourne’s south-east, a large tree fell on a tram near a hospital, closing a major road in both directions for two blocks.
More than 12,000 Victorian households and businesses remained off power at 7.30pm on Wednesday because of unplanned outages.
Racegoers at the Geelong Cup were urged to steer clear of the marquees, while strong winds caused the races to be abandoned.
Parts of western Sydney baked in temperatures nearing 40 degrees on Wednesday.
The mercury maxed out at 39.8 degrees in Bankstown and 39.5 degrees at Penrith after 1pm, both record highs for October.
Closer to the harbour temperatures topped out at 37 degrees about 2.30pm in Sydney’s city centre, slightly below the October record.
Strong winds helped it feel slightly cooler in some parts as the mercury rose.
Temperatures in NSW were 10-12 degrees higher than average as total fire bans were declared for much of the state on Wednesday..
Taree on the state’s mid-north coast hit 41 degrees while Walgett in the north-west also passed 40 degrees.
Dozens of fires were burning across NSW and Queensland on Wednesday afternoon, although many were under control.
In western Queensland, the mercury passed 40 degrees at Charleville and St George, while further north temperatures ranged from 41 degrees to 43 degrees, hitting 42 degrees at Mount Isa.
The heat continued moving east after monthly records fell at Birdsville (46.1 degrees) in the state’s south-west, and Bourke (44.8 degrees) in far north NSW on Tuesday.
“Both of these temperatures were state records for the warmest ever temperature recorded in October anywhere in the state,” Hines said.
“These are typically temperatures that we would only see in a summer heatwave, but it’s still spring.”
The hot and windy conditions could put animals in harm’s way, International Fund for Animal Welfare officer Robert Leach said.
“Animals like koalas are only just recovering after the devastation of Black Summer, we cannot afford another catastrophe.”
NSW authorities warned walking tracks and remote campgrounds in national parks across the areas could be closed at short notice.
Cooler temperatures are expected in Sydney on Thursday. However, the mercury is tipped to remain high in other areas on Friday and into the weekend.
Maximum temperatures were forecast to reach 35 degrees in Darwin and Brisbane on Thursday, with 22 forecast in Sydney and 18 in Melbourne.
-with AAP
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