Golf ball-sized hail blankets the lawn of Parliament House, after a severe thunderstorm ripped through Canberra. 9News Video here:
Heavy rain, damaging winds and hailstorms have also hit Victoria, with severe weatherThere have been close to 2,000 calls for assistance from emergency services since 2pm yesterday, when storms first hit the state and with thunderstorm and flash-flood warnings in place for tonight, authorities expect this number to grow.
Flash-flooding has already started in Pakenham and surrounding areas with residents warned they are in danger and should remain indoors and avoid driving in floodwaters.Heavy rain has already started in parts, with 27mm falling in the hour between 8am and 9am at Bloomfield Park Everton, south of Albury.Earlier, Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville warned some areas damaged by bush fires will be hit. "We're going to see some potentially flash flooding and severe thunderstorms over the next couple of days, including some damaged fire areas," she said.Severe weather warnings are in place for Northern Country, North Central, North East, West and South Gippsland regions and parts of Central and East Gippsland.Queensland's southeast will also feel the brunt of today's severe weather warnings after massive downpours already caused flash flooding in parts of the state at the weekend.Severe thunderstorms have developed near Ipswich and are moving southeast through the Scenic Rim. Damaging winds and heavy rain are expected near Laidley and Grandchester and are expected to affect Harrisville and Boonah within the hour.Persistent thunderstorms across eastern parts of the state over the past week have brought some much-needed rainfall, with particularly heavy falls on the Gold Coast which recorded 300mm on Friday night and Saturday morning. Brisbane could see up to 30mm of rain today according the weather bureau after heavy falls caused flash flooding, which shut down major roads and caused delays.While the storms could pose a threat for many areas, the mass downpour did provide some relief for drought-stricken regions. Little Nerang Dam in the Gold Coast Hinterland is near capacity after the weekend's drenching with Seqwater recording the dam at 96 per cent full after the weekend, up from 72.5 per cent on Friday. Leslie Harrison Dam near Warwick is almost at 60 per cent according to Seqwater, up from 53.9 per cent.Showers are persisting in South Australia's Adelaide Hills after a wet weekend in the state, however these should ease later this evening. Possible thunderstorms are forecast east of the Mount Lofty Ranges with a moderate southerly hitting the Riverland region later. Large parts of Tasmania are also set for a wet week with chances of a shower today and wet weather and heavy cloud likely to carry through to the weekend.
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