Tasmania Issues Flood Warnings Amid Severe Weather

Tasmanian emergency services have issued urgent evacuation warnings for communities along the Derwent River, including Meadowbank, Glenora, Bushy Park, Gretna, and Macquarie Plains, as severe weather brings heavy rainfall and destructive winds. A major flood warning has been declared, with the potential for properties to be inundated and roads becoming impassable, leading to possible isolation for several days. Emergency services reported responding to 330 incidents in just 24 hours, and an evacuation center has been established in New Norfolk. Wind gusts have reached alarming speeds, with a peak of 165km/h recorded on Maatsuyker Island, comparable to a category three tropical cyclone. Residents are advised to prepare their properties and move to safer locations as conditions are expected to worsen, with further extreme weather warnings in place across Tasmania and neighboring states. Premier Jeremy Rockliff noted that around 1,500 properties remain without power due to the ongoing storms.