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Woman dead after tree falls on family car as polar blast wreaks havoc

A woman is dead after ferocious winds brought down a large tree on her family car in Victoria’s Yarra Ranges.

A child and a man are still fighting for their lives in critical conditions in hospital, while a second child has minor injuries stemming from the "very large" gum tree's fall on Friday.

Just after 9.30am paramedics were called to the Black Spur on the Maroondah Highway to try to free four people from a "serious incident".

A woman is dead and a child is in a critical condition after a tree fell on a car in Victoria's Yarra Ranges.
A woman is dead after ferocious winds brought a tree down onto a car with four people inside in Victoria’s Yarra Ranges. Source: 9 News

"We saw a very large tree come down on a family car," SES chief officer Tim Wiebusch told reporters in Melbourne on Friday.

The woman, a front-seat passenger, died at the scene. Two children were taken to the Royal Children's Hospital while the male driver was taken to The Alfred hospital.

"One child has been airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries and the other taken to hospital by road ambulance with minor injuries," Victoria Police said.

The State Emergency Service received 630 calls for help across Victoria in 24 hours due to heavy winds and rain on Friday morning.

Victoria has been lashed by wild weather as a polar blast pummels Australia's southeast.
Paramedics loading one of their patients into a helicopter. A child is in a critical condition. Source: 9 News

Rough seas have also claimed the tip of Frankston's pier, which snapped off and floated away.

A spokeswoman for the SES said Melbourne's southeast was currently experiencing high tides and wind gusts of 90 to 100km/h.

"What's left of the pier is still copping an absolute pummelling at the moment," the Department of Transport's Chris Miller told 3AW radio on Friday.

Parks Victoria said the pier was due to be redeveloped anyway.

A weather map showing the polar blast. Source: Windy.com
A weather map showing the polar blast. Source: Windy.com

A number of flood warnings are still in place around Melbourne's outer suburbs, while heavy snow is expected in alpine regions.

Mr Wiebusch said the SES had a number of calls about winds dislodging roofs and bringing down trees, while he warned people to be careful in the water around Frankston because debris from the pier might still be floating about.

"Be aware of potential hazards caused by the severe weather. Hazards include damaged buildings, trees down, fallen power lines, debris and coastal erosion," the warning reads.

Blizzard conditions are expected across alpine areas, with snow expected above 500 metres and flurries possible for the Dandenong Ranges.

Icy temperatures are also set to continue across the state, with Melbourne headed for a top of 11C – but strong winds will make it feel much colder.

Gale force winds blew the roof off the Wescott Presbyterian aged care centre in Stockton, near Newcastle, NSW. Source: Ambulance NSW
Gale force winds blew the roof off the Wescott Presbyterian aged care centre in Stockton, near Newcastle, NSW. Source: Ambulance NSW

Wild wind blows roof off NSW nursing home

Meanwhile in NSW, 30 nursing home residents made a lucky escape after wild winds blew the roof off their aged care facility.

Ambulance crews, police, NSW Fire and Rescue, and the SES, arrived at the scene about 10am Friday to find sheets of loose iron on the ground.

All 30 residents were evacuated, with no major injuries reported, NSW Ambulance confirmed.

Inspector Joel De Zuna, who was on the scene, said it was incredible nobody was injured.

“Everybody is incredibly lucky that no-one was killed and that we aren’t treating more patients. This could have ended in disaster.”

BoM forecaster Kevin Parkyn said the low pressure system that caused the terrible weather was a once-in-every-five-years type of event.

All 30 nursing home residents were evacuated, with no major injuries reported. Ambulance NSW
All 30 nursing home residents were evacuated, with no major injuries reported. Ambulance NSW

SA woman rescued from flooded creek

A woman has been plucked from a flooded creek in the Adelaide Hills as thousands of properties in South Australia remained without power after two days of damaging winds and heavy rain.

At Mount Barker, a police officer entered a fast-flowing creek on Thursday night to rescue a woman in her 50s who had fallen in while checking on stock.

The woman had been in the water for about 40 minutes when police arrived on the scene and she was spotted clinging to a tree branch.

She was unhurt and was treated at the scene by ambulance officers.

The intense weather system also brought down trees across a wide area and prompted more than 200 calls for assistance across the state, as winds gusted above 100 km/h.

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