Several towns in eastern Australia were blanketed with their thickest snowfall in nearly 40 years as severe weather swept through over the weekend.

Authorities reported widespread disruptions, including floods, power outages, and stranded vehicles.

Northern New South Wales saw up to 40 cm (16 inches) of snow on Saturday, the most since the 1980s, while some areas of Queensland experienced snow for the first time in a decade, according to Miriam Bradbury from Australia’s weather bureau.

Bradbury noted that while extreme weather is becoming more common due to climate change, events like this have occurred in Australia’s historical weather records.

“What makes this event stand out is not just the depth of the snow, but its reach across the northern tablelands,” she said.

Emergency services responded to more than 1,455 incidents in New South Wales alone, dealing with storm damage, snow-trapped vehicles, and multiple flood warnings. Tens of thousands of homes lost power overnight, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

In a tragic development, police said a woman in her 20s was swept away after a car became stuck in floodwaters on Saturday evening. The search continued into Sunday.

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