Australia declares natural disaster from severe storms

Severe storms in eastern Australia have led to a natural disaster declaration, with wind gusts reaching up to 100 km/h causing extensive damage and power outages affecting over 100,000 homes in Sydney alone. By Saturday, around 40,000 properties remained without electricity, and emergency services received thousands of calls for assistance, including several flood rescues. Tragically, an elderly man lost his life when a tree fell on his car, and injuries were reported from a large tree collapse in Hyde Park. The Federal Emergency Management Minister has activated disaster payments to help affected families and businesses. Local authorities continue to monitor the situation, with warnings issued for isolated communities as heavy rain and damaging winds persist. Emergency response efforts are ongoing to support the impacted areas and facilitate cleanup operations.