Severe storms damage homes and businesses in Central Australia
Alice Springs businesses reported building damage and food losses, while cattle stations were hit by destructive winds and large hailstones.
Residents and businesses in Central Australia are assessing storm damage after rain, hail and winds approaching 100km/h struck Alice Springs. Roofs were torn off homes, trees and powerlines fell, and mud and leaves covered roads.
Todd Grierson, general manager of the Double Tree Hotel, said damage extended across restaurants, a beauty salon, the ballroom, meeting spaces and back-of-house areas. He said guest rooms had not been affected.
At The Roastery cafe, power outages forced staff to discard food worth thousands of dollars. Owner Kim Hopper said a delivery had arrived on the first storm's day, but food safety requirements meant many products could not be kept. She said the business would make an insurance claim.
Undoolya Station owner Ben Hayes described winds swirling in different directions about 20 kilometres east of Alice Springs. He said a lean-to fell onto a house, windows broke, a chicken enclosure blew away and a historic storeroom lost its roof.
Large hailstones also struck cattle properties near the NT–South Australian border. Golf-ball-sized hail was recorded at Lyndavale Station, 250 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs.
