Wild winds ground flights in Australia, falling tree kills woman

Major airports at Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, cancelled flights on Friday as damaging winds swept southeastern states, killing one woman, destroying roofs and causing power outages. The woman died after a gum tree fell on her moving car in the southeastern state of Victoria. Two children and the male driver were hospitalised, police said.

Strong winds blew the roof off a nursing home near Newcastle in the neighbouring state of New South Wales, as gusts in excess of 100 km (62 miles) per hour swept through parts of the region. The cold front also cut power to about 10,000 homes in South Australia, while airports in Sydney and Melbourne cancelled more than 60 flights due to strong winds.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned the tough weather conditions were likely to continue through the weekend.

 

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