What we learned: Sunday, 17 November
With that, we will wrap the blog for the afternoon.
Rest assured, though – we’ll be back first thing tomorrow for the second last sitting week of the year (yay).
Here are today’s major developments:
The defence minister, Richard Marles, has announced closer military cooperation with Japan and the United States. Marles, who is acting prime minister, said Japan’s amphibious rapid deployment brigade would now be regularly deployed to Darwin, where it would work with Australian and US forces.
Bushfires have destroyed at least one home and killed livestock in Victoria’s west. The state’s emergency management commissioner said soaring temperatures and high winds on Saturday caused 80 fires, five considered significant.
A 68-year-old man who went missing after diving into the Nepean River south of Penrith on Saturday has been found dead.
A 20-year-old pilot and his two teenage passengers have been identified as the three people killed in a light plane crash in eastern Victoria on Saturday evening. The plane was seen circling in east Gippsland before crashing into a paddock and bursting into flames.
And the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has hailed “inclusive trade and investment” at the Apec forum in Peru where leaders are attempting to push against the protectionist policies favoured by US president-elect Donald Trump.
Updated
Wild weather continues to pummel NSW and Victoria
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for damaging winds and large hailstones over central parts of New South Wales.
Communities in Parkes, Nyngan, Young, West Wyalong, Cobar and Brewarrina are being urged to move cars under cover, secure loose items, stay away from fallen power lines and remain indoors. Severe thunderstorms are no longer occurring in the Riverina district, where a warning has been cancelled.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the storms would continue over the “next several hours”.
A surface trough ahead of a vigorous cold front is producing severe thunderstorms over southern NSW. This activity is expected to shift quickly towards the east this afternoon and evening.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds with large hailstones possible in the warning area over the next several hours.
In Victoria, heavy rainfall and damaging winds are hitting the north-east ranges, and damaging winds also possible for the south-west coast.
Flash flooding is possible, with isolated fall totals expected to hit 80mm and peak gusts exceeding 100 km/h at Warrnambool, Portland, Corryong, Bright, Falls Creek and Omeo.
Updated
