Two dead as severe weather brings down trees and powerlines in Tasmania

Two people have died, a hospital has been damaged and thousands of properties are without power in Tasmania as severe winds buffet Australia’s south-east. Weather warnings were also in place on Friday afternoon in parts of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia as the weather system moved towards the country’s east coast. Damaging wind gusts were expected around Mount Gambier and western Victoria until Friday afternoon, and in Victoria’s east and NSW’s south-east until the evening, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Related: As I prepare for another bushfire season in NSW, I wonder: will triple zero be there if I need it? | Michael Burge Tasmania is facing flood watches and state-wide weather warnings, with the BoM forecasting continued severe winds into Saturday morning and further rainfall forecast throughout the weekend. Two people died after a tree fell on a private property in Tasmania’s north-west Friday afternoon, with police and emergency services called to the scene about 12.10pm. Heavy gusts were expected to continue into the afternoon and rainfall over the next two days was likely to cause river level rises, according to Chris Irvine, an acting assistant director at the state’s emergency service. “Although the worst winds have now mostly passed, we are still expecting widespread gusts of 100km/h to 110km/h across the state this afternoon before easing below warning thresholds this evening,” Irvine said. “Members of the public should take all precautions for their own personal safety and be aware of the potential for falling trees and branches.” Sign up: AU Breaking News email The SES said it had faced 72 requests for assistances on Friday, mostly due to wind-related damage. Ambulances were diverted from the Mersey community hospital in Tasmania’s north-west after it sustained weather damage, with non-emergency patients encouraged to seek alternative services. The hospital’s clinical services were being managed but at reduced capacity, the state health department said in a statement. More than 20,000 homes were without power in Tasmania on Friday morning, the majority in the north and north-west, after extreme weather brought down multiple powerlines, energy provider Tasnetworks said. The provider warned on Facebook that outages were expected to rise and customers facing especially complex outages in inaccessible locations could be without power for at least 72 hours. Qantas flights scheduled to arrive in Devonport airport on Friday have been cancelled, as was one flight from Melbourne to Launceston. Fallen trees have blocked several roads across the state, including to the pinnacle of Hobart’s kunanyi/Mt Wellington. The most destructive winds hit the state’s north-east but gusts as high as 139km/h were recorded at Scotts Peak, a mountain in Tasmania’s south, with exposed areas experiencing winds exceeding 120 km/h, according to the SES. – with AAP