Canberra, October 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Severe storms that developed suddenly across central Australia have caused widespread damage, bringing down trees and powerlines and leaving around 9,000 properties without electricity in and around Alice Springs, with some areas facing outages lasting up to four days.
The storms struck the Northern Territory on Monday after a low-pressure trough interacted with a warm and unstable air mass, triggering severe thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain, hail and winds approaching 100 kmph, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Fallen trees damaged roads, powerlines and rooftops in Alice Springs and surrounding areas, disrupting electricity supplies and creating safety risks for residents.
Northern Territory Logistics and Infrastructure Minister Bill Yan said the damage was widespread. In a statement issued jointly with Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, he said emergency crews would be sent from Darwin to assist with cleanup operations and power restoration.
“The damage is significant but thank goodness there are no injuries reported,” Yan said, urging residents to remain cautious around fallen trees, exposed powerlines and damaged infrastructure.
Authorities appealed to people to prioritise safety as crews worked to clear debris and restore essential services. The weather bureau also warned that similar storm cells could develop on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The latest disruption follows severe storms that swept across South Australia on Sunday, leaving thousands of customers without electricity and prompting more than 100 calls for assistance.
The storms affected large parts of the state, including Adelaide, which was hit on Sunday night by damaging hail and strong winds that brought down trees.
The South Australian State Emergency Service said on Monday that most of the calls received since Sunday afternoon concerned fallen trees.
More than 7,000 customers across the state were affected by power outages on Sunday afternoon. By Monday afternoon, SA Power Networks reported 15 outages affecting 1,872 customers.
The largest outage, affecting 966 customers southeast of Adelaide, was expected to be resolved by Monday night, the utility said.
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