Devastating hailstorm leave thousands without power in South Australia
October 29, 2021, 12:58 am

Devastating hailstorm leave thousands without power in South Australia

Hailstorm-Winter season/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported, thousands of households in South Australia (SA) have been left without power after a devastating hailstorm hit the state.

Hailstones the size of golf balls on Thursday lashed much of SA, causing damage to crops, vineyards and orchards.

More than 72,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the state and parts of the south-east received 35 millimeters (mm) of rain.

The State Emergency Service (SES) was inundated by 1,200 calls for help in a 24 hour span.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), as of Friday morning almost 12,000 homes remained without electricity, with power not expected to be restored until the afternoon.

Vince Rowlands, a senior Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecaster, said the hailstones have been the largest recorded in SA since 2017.

He told News Corp Australia: "Seeing hail the size that we saw over the northern suburbs is not something that we see very often in the Adelaide region."

In regional SA farmers said the hail smashed their market gardens and glasshouses.

Jordan Brooke-Barnett, chief executive of industry body AUSVEG, said crops have been "wiped out."

He said: "It is really, really bad," adding, "We are talking about dozens and dozens of growers who have each lost hundreds of thousands of dollars."

One such grower, Tenafeate Creek Winery owner Michael Costa, said it was a devastating blow in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: "Our thoughts go out to all the grape growers and winemakers.

Source: xinhua

UK Foreign Secretary says Britain will summon French Ambassador over fishing dispute Babylon International Festival kicks off for first time since US invasion of Iraq

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”