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SYDNEY: Thousands of residents in Australia's eastern state of Queensland were without power on Sunday after wild storms lashed the region, local newspaper The Courier-Mail reported.
A total of 120 powerlines were reported down and 57,000 customers were without power, according to a spokesman of Energex, an electricity company owned by Queensland government distributing power to 1.5 million homes and businesses in the southeastern part of the state.
Homes across Logan and parts of Brisbane could be without power on Christmas Day until at least midday with authorities warning residents to think of a backup plan, the newspaper reported.
The Energex spokesman encouraged residents across the region to plan for the worst to ensure Christmas festivities run smoothly on Monday, such as considering generator use to keep refrigerators running.
The Australian ABC News broadcaster reported on Saturday that violent thunderstorms would likely hit eastern Australia during Christmas due to an unusual weather pattern.
The spell of explosive thunderstorms would occur because polar air escaping from Antarctica was expected to drift directly over the country's southeast states from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, or from Sunday to Tuesday, the report said.
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