Australia NOW! Storm of the Century Hits Victoria. Winds Up to 93 MPH Wreak Havoc

A powerful storm hit the state of Victoria in Australia on September 1st. Strong winds, equivalent to a Category 2 tropical cyclone, wreaked havoc across the region. The storm's main impact occurred on Sunday evening and Monday morning, with wind gusts reaching between 62 and 93 mph over a large area along the entire coastline of Victoria.

The storm knocked down trees and damaged infrastructure, leaving more than 130,000 homes and businesses without power, affecting around 350,000 people. Public transportation was also paralyzed, with severe delays on several rail lines. Wind gusts exceeding 93 mph caused massive waves up to 27.5 feet high, and in some coastal areas of Victoria, the tides rose nearly 3.3 feet above normal.

Among the casualties was a 63-year-old woman who died when a tree fell on her house.

The state of Tasmania also experienced extreme weather conditions over the weekend. A series of intense cold fronts brought destructive winds, torrential rains, record flooding, and heavy snowfall to the island.

On Maatsuyker Island, the average wind speed reached 101 mph on Saturday afternoon, with gusts up to 116 mph, equivalent to a Category 4 tropical cyclone. Several wind speed records were broken across Tasmania. These conditions led to widespread power outages throughout the state. The timeline for restoration remained uncertain. Launceston Airport, the second-largest city in Tasmania, had to use generators to maintain operations.

The state also faced record rainfall and flooding. During the last week of August, the western part of Tasmania received up to 12 inches of rain, with an additional 1.6 to 2.4 inches falling on September 1st. The heavy rains caused flooding in several rivers, including the Derwent, Macquarie, Meander, and Mersey. The water level at Meadowbank Dam exceeded the maximum flood level, raising concerns about worsening flooding downstream. There were also reports of heavy snowfalls across Tasmania, especially on Mount Mawson, where the snow cover reached 31.5 inches on September 1st, with more snow added overnight on September 2nd.

The storm in Victoria and Tasmania demonstrated how destructive extreme weather conditions can be, and how much effort will be required to restore the damaged infrastructure and homes. We are rapidly approaching a point where countries simply won't have enough time and resources to cope with the consequences of these natural disasters. Catastrophes are coming one after another, disrupting lives and shattering futures. It's time to realize that the climate won't stop on its own. It will continue to destroy the planet until it obliterates it completely. We must be the ones to stop it, using groundbreaking technologies and knowledge. Only then can we protect our planet for future generations.