More than 46,000 homes in Queensland’s embattled southeast are still without power after wild storms, as forecasters warn heatwave conditions could hit within days.
At least 10 people were killed in Queensland and Victoria over the Christmas and Boxing Day holidays following powerful storms, including a nine-year-old girl.
Emergency crews were battling on Thursday to restore power to critical infrastructure after winds felled more than 900 powerlines – including 600 on the Gold Coast.
The state government warned residents it could be days before there was a plan to restore power to affected properties, many of which were in the state’s southeast.
It comes as the Bureau of Meteorology warns large swathes of the country to brace for potential heatwave conditions, with the extreme temperatures forecast for the north.
Much of the state’s centre is set to swelter through severe heatwave conditions from Thursday-Sunday, with the Gold Coast and the southeast to see low-intensity heatwaves.
Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said the state’s hospitals were already on code brown ahead of the heatwave, with staff recalled early from leave to assist with patients.
The government has been faced with a “unprecedented” recovery effort following storms which destroyed homes and flooded swathes of the state’s most populous areas.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate told the media on Wednesday the region had been battered by wind speeds exceeding 100km and comparable to those of a category 2 cyclone.
Speaking on the recovery effort, Mr Tate criticised the Bureau of Meteorology for the timing of its storm warnings and said residents would be eligible for financial assistance.
Provided by the state government, the personal hardship grants will be $180 for individual residents and $900 for families affected by the Christmas and Boxing Day storms.
Emergency crews were also reportedly being brought in from NSW to assist in the recovery effort, with energy supplier Energex scrambling to repair damaged power lines.
