Severe storms cause major power outage in Australia's Victoria state

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) confirmed on February 13 that a severe storm, accompanied by lightning, hail and flash floods that afternoon, had knocked down hundreds of power poles and damaged major transmission systems, leading to a serious power outage.

The storm, which brought winds of up to 130 km/h and large hail in some areas, damaged homes and businesses across central and western Victoria, forcing dozens of train lines to be suspended due to the weather, while flooding also flooded roads in Melbourne's southeast, authorities said.

The Victorian Emergency Service is urging people to be patient as it received more than 1,500 calls for assistance by 6pm.

An AEMO spokesman said rescue teams and technicians were still battling extreme weather conditions and difficult terrain to repair transmission lines and critical energy infrastructure, warning some areas could be up to a week from having power restored.