Australia: Six dead, three missing and thousands without power after severe thunderstorm

At least six people have been killed and three are 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 six people, the youngest a nine-year-old girl, who was reportedly swept away in a flooded storm drain.

Tens of thousands of households have been left without power.

In Brisbane, the search continues for two missing people after a boat they were on capsized and a 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.

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.

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.

It is expected to take days to restore power to some people.

The storms come after former Tropical Cyclone Jasper hit northern regions earlier this month, causing flooding and widespread damage in Queensland