The Bureau of Meteorology has cancelled a severe thunderstorm warning for Canberra for the second time on Friday.
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Earlier, it had warned of "severe thunderstorms over the ACT", with "damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall".
The warning was first issued early on Friday afternoon, and then removed but repeated just before 5pm. As the warning recurred, thunder broke over the city. It was cancelled shortly after 6pm.
Earlier the bureau said it could lead to flash flooding in the late afternoon of Friday, possibly easing in the evening.
The forecasters then think there will be dry days over the coming week after the thunderstorms have cleared the moisture out of the air.
But the hailstone warning may be particularly worrying for Canberrans who remember the freak storm in 2020.
After it, there were 69,850 insurance claims, according to the Insurance Council of Australia. More than half came from the ACT.
The State Emergency Service advised people to:
- Move your car under cover or away from trees.
- Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony.
- Keep at least 8 metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences.
- Report fallen power lines to either Ausgrid (131 388), Endeavour Energy (131 003), Essential Energy (132 080) or Evoenergy (131 093) as shown on your power bill.
- Trees that have been damaged by fire are likely to be more unstable and more likely to fall.
- Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
- Don't walk, ride your bike or drive through flood water.
- If you are trapped by flash flooding, seek refuge in the highest available place and ring 000 if you need rescue.
- For emergency help in floods and storms, ring the SES (NSW and ACT) on 132 500.
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Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
