CANBERRA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people in the Australian Outback could be without power for several days after powerful storms developed suddenly on Monday, causing widespread damage.
The Bureau of Meteorology said that a trough of low atmospheric pressure coincided with a warm and unstable air mass in Central Australia on Monday afternoon, driving the development of severe thunderstorms that brought heavy rain, hail and wind speeds nearing 100 km per hour.
Authorities reported that the brief storm brought down trees onto roads, powerlines and roofs in the Northern Territory (NT) city of Alice Springs and nearby, causing blackouts that affected around 9,000 properties.
Bill Yan, the NT's Minister for Logistics and Infrastructure, told local media that the damage was widespread and that some areas could be without electricity for up to four days.
He said in a statement with the NT's Chief Minister, Lia Finocchiaro, that emergency crews would be deployed from the capital of Darwin to help clean up and restore power.
Residents in the affected area have been urged to show caution around fallen powerlines, trees and damaged infrastructure.
"The damage is significant but thank goodness there are no injuries reported," Yan said.
"We want to keep it that way. We need people to stay safe with powerlines and trees down all over town."
The weather bureau warned that similar storm cells could develop on Tuesday afternoon and evening. ■
