Wild weather: Fire, thunderstorms and snow hammer parts of Australia
Australia has been hit with extreme weather today with dangerous fires and extreme winds hitting NSW, thunderstorms pummeling Queensland, and snow falling in Victoria.
Here's a rundown of the hotspots:
Queensland thunderstorms
A band of severe thunderstorms brought wind, rain and hail to much of southeast Queensland this afternoon, but residents weren't complaining.
The storms hit Stanthorpe, a town on the brink of running out of water, about 3pm before rolling across Toowoomba, Ipswich, Logan, and Brisbane and out to sea.
At the storm's peak there were nearly 30,000 homes without power and a large tree was felled at Raceview.
A severe thunderstorm warning remains in place further north for areas around Emerald, Biloela and Blackwater.
Southeast Queensland residents have taken video of the hail. Images: Mariah Reid, Angelika Kirby, Rachel Busby. Supplied
Western Sydney
A large grassfire is burning close to homes in Western Sydney.
Firefighters are battling to protect homes in Ruse and Campbelltown from the blaze.
The blaze is heading towards Bent Place and residents should follow advice from firefighters.
Firefighters are tackling a blaze near Ruse and Campbelltown this afternoon. 9News
Sydney Airport
A total of 20 flights have been cancelled at Sydney Domestic Airport this afternoon.
International departures and arrivals are operating as normal but passengers are advised to check with their airlines regarding the status of their flight.
Thunderstorms are also expected in Northeast NSW which will move further east along with the storms in southern and central-western Queensland.
More than 20 flights were delayed at Sydney Domestic Airport this afternoon (File vision). 9News
Alpine Region
While hot and dry conditions are causing problems for Queensland and NSW, snow is falling in highlands in the country's southeast due to a pulse of high-altitude cold air.
Snow has reached down to 800 metres elevation in Victoria with Mount Hotham, Mount Buller and the NSW alps all getting coated.
Fire bans
Very high to severe fire danger ratings are in place for much of eastern and northeast NSW and parts of southeast, central and northern Queensland.
Temperatures are even higher in northern Australia today, with the mercury reaching 40 degrees at Adelaide River, south of Darwin. Parts of Western Australia's Kimberley and Pilbara Districts have also reached 41 to 43 degrees.
Very High to Severe fire danger ratings are also in place across a broad area of northern WA and northern parts of the NT.
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