News - 10 dead in Australia due to severe thunderstorms

Ten people were killed in Australia after severe thunderstorms battered the country's east over the Christmas holidays, authorities said on Wednesday, with tens of thousands of properties still without power, Reuters reported. Wild weather lashed the states of Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland on Monday and Tuesday, bringing large hailstones and torrential rains. Strong winds blew off roofs and brought down trees in some of the worst-affected areas. More than 90,000 households are still without power. Authorities warned fast-rising rivers and streams could burst banks inundating campgrounds, which usually become crowded during the Christmas and New Year weeks.