RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 1 : Australia - Hailstorm

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Budapest, Hungary RSOE EDIS ALERTMAIL

Situation Update No. 1 Posted:2010-03-06, 07:21:32 [UTC] Ref.no.: HS-20100306-25219-AUS Situation Update No. 1 On 2010-03-06 at 12:55:03 [UTC] Event: Hailstorm Location: Australia State of Victoria Melbourne Situation: A ferocious hailstorm tore through Melbourne, smashing windows, caving in roofs and turning streets into raging torrents. As almost a month's rain fell in only two hours, Melbourne came to a standstill, with roads flooded by water more than a metre deep. Police took the extraordinary step of urging the public to stay away from the city, saying the flooded streets, gridlock traffic and dangerous conditions meant people should stay home. "We'd much prefer people stay away if they do not have urgent business in the city," Victoria Police spokeswoman Sharon D'Arcy said. Big hailstones smashed windows and blanketed the streets with a treacherous white layer of ice, forcing drivers to a halt in the middle of roads. Daylight vanished as the storm hit the CBD shortly before 3pm. Please DO NOT reply to this message: replies may be treated as errors and result in your subscription being deleted. If you have trouble or other queries, send email to havaria@rsoe.hu RSOE EDIS is operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), Budapest, Hungary. Because of the complexity of this system and its dependence on other systems, we cannot be responsible for delays or failures in forwarding or transmission. You're receiving this AlertMail because you subscribed for the service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Contact: havaria@rsoe.hu