Parliament plunged into chaos as wild storms sweep across southeast Australia
Federal parliament has been temporarily interrupted by a blackout, as wild weather sweeps across Australia.
Federal parliament has been temporarily plunged into chaos after lights went out, as wild weather sweeps across southeast Australia.
The momentary blackout triggered jeers from the opposition, who raised their mobile phones with the lights turned on and pointed across the room at Anthony Albanese and government MPs as the overhead lighting flickered back to life.
MPs got to their feet during the raucous, with some laughing.
Speaker Milton Dick attempted to wrangle the crowd, calling “order”.
“The members to my left will cease interjecting,” he said.
He cracked a smile and twiddled his pen as Liberal MP Darren Chester waved his mobile phone light.
“The House is going to continue,” he said after.
“We are in order, minister continue,” he said to Health Minister Mark Butler, who was addressing the chamber when the blackout occurred.
It comes as wild weather lashes much of southeast Australia.
The Bureau of Meteorology was warning a severe thunderstorm likely to produce damaging winds and large hailstones was detected near the Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens and the Grose Valley in the Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney, at 3pm on Wednesday.
The storm is moving west with peak gusts of up to 119km recorded at Nobby’s head.
Damaging wind warnings were also in place for the ACT, as well as Wollongong, Nowra, Canberra, Goulburn, Bowral and Katoomba.
Winds of 93km were recorded at Canberra Airport at 1.29pm.
Originally published as Parliament plunged into chaos as wild storms sweep across southeast Australia
