Violent thunderstorm hits Brisbane

The worst storm in decades has lashed Brisbane, Australia’s third-largest city, with wind, rain and hail cutting power lines, flooding streets and injuring a dozen people.

State-owned electricity supplier Energex said up to 90,000 homes had been without power, with trees and hundreds of power lines brought down by winds gusting at 140 kph. By the morning, 68,000 homes remained blacked out.