Wild wind and flooding rain lash southeast Australian state

Wild weather in southeast Australia has toppled trees, trapping people in cars and houses and cutting power to more than 200,000 homes as many braced for flooding

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Wild weather in southeast Australia toppled trees, trapping people in cars and houses and cutting power to more than 200,000 homes as many braced for flooding. The extraordinary weather system that hit Victoria state and its capital Melbourne Wednesday night brought wind gusts of up to 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour and up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain, meteorologist Kevin Parkin said. There were no reports of serious injury. As the wind and rain moderated on Thursday, the flood risk increased from rising rivers. Around 220 homes threatened by a swollen creek were ordered to evacuate at Traralgon, east of Melbourne, State Emergency Service chief officer Tim Wiebusch said. Australia’s second most populous state had not been lashed by such a severe wind and rain event since 2008, officials said.