The Australian music scene is today mourning the loss of Glenn Wheatley who died at the age of 74 from COVID-19-related complications.

The music promoter had been sick with coronavirus for the past few weeks, and is believed to have passed away in Melbourne yesterday.

Wheatley became a major behind-the-scenes figure in the music industry after launching the career of legendary singer John Farnham and later oversaw Delta Goodrem's career.

READ MORE: 'Tornado-like' cell rips through Queensland

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Brisbane-born Wheatley played bass in the Masters Apprentices during the 1960s.

He then soon moved to management, overseeing the Little River Band in the 1970s and launching them in the US.

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But it was Wheatley's partnership with John Farnham during the 1980s that established him as a music industry heavyweight.

Wheatley even mortgaged his own home, putting everything on the line to help pay for the recording of the hit album 'Whispering Jack'.

It was one of music's greatest gambles but paid off as Farnham catapulted to global success.

The album, which included the famous anthem You're The Voice, sold more than 1.6 million copies.

Later, Wheatley managed Delta Goodrem after discovering the pop singer as a youngster. He also worked with rock musician James Reyne.

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But there were also low points for Wheatley.

In 2007, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for tax evasion following an inquiry by the Australian Taxation Office into offshore tax havens.

It is understood that Wheatley contracted COVID-19 around Christmas time and has spent recent weeks in a Melbourne hospital in ICU, battling the illness.

Figures in the Australian music industry today paid tribute to Wheatley.

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Nine Entertainment Editor Richard Wilkins said he was "gutted" to hear of Wheatley's death.

Speaking to Today, Wilkins described the music icon as a family man who loved spending time with his wife Gaynor and children.

"He and Gaynor had been through thick and thin together and she's such a wonderful person," he said.

"Everybody's hearts are with her and the three gorgeous children.

Wilkins said Wheatley was one of the founding fathers of the Australian music industry and FM radio.

"It is not overstating to say that Glenn was one of the founding members of the Australian music industry," he said.

"He opened the door, really, for other acts like INXS and Air Supply. He was one of the founding fathers – FM Radio in Melbourne I think, was the first commercial FM station in Australia.

"He loved his Swannies or the South Melbourne Football Club."

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Wilkins said he was "really, really sad" when he received the news about his dear friend's death.

"I don't think anyone in the Australian music business has had any sleep," he said.

"Glenn leaves a huge hole."

Music journalist and friend Glenn A. Baker also echoed Wilkins' sentiments, saying he left a massive mark on the Australian industry.

New South Wales has recorded 27 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours and a further 11,807 cases.

This is a decline from yesterday when 30 deaths and 12,818 COVID-19 infections were reported.

Hospitalisations are down slightly from 2749, with 2622 people currently receiving care. There are 170 in ICU.

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Top doc issues booster plea

The NSW President of the Australian Medical Association is urging eligible residents to get their booster vaccine as soon as they recover from a COVID-19 infection.

The message comes after it was revealed NSW and Victoria are both lagging behind in the booster rollout.

For weeks the NSW triple-jabbed rate has struggled to reach the 40 per cent mark.

READ MORE: Australian musical industry icon Glenn Wheatley dead at 74

Aged and Community Services Australia estimates one in ten aged care residents are yet to receive their booster shot.

Currently there are more than 11,000 active infections in residents and workers in NSW across 555 homes.

Dr Danielle McMullen suspects that lag is mostly due to people pushing pause on a third vaccine booking after contracting the virus, as the state government says one can wait four to six weeks post-infection.

READ MORE: 'Tornado-like' cell hits Queensland, thousands without power

"A number of people in NSW and Victoria have been caught short by catching COVID and delaying their booster. You can get this booster coverage across multiple strains," she told Today.

"Getting the illness does give you some short-term protection against Omicron but we don't know what it does for those future variants.

"The best advice, still get your booster".

It comes as thousands of school students dusted off their backpacks and returned to in-class learning yesterday.

Experts are predicting students' return could lead to a spike in cases, however infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy is hopeful a rise in infections will be minimal.

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"We are going to have a spike," he told Today adding parents should keep monitoring for symptoms and testing regularly.

"But so many people are vaccinated, and so many more will be soon, and so many people are not susceptible because they have been vaccinated or because they have had the disease."

A double-vaccinated man in his 30s with no underlying health conditions were among the state's 30 COVID-related deaths yesterday.

Amid stabilising hospitalisation numbers Health Minister Brad Hazzard yesterday announced non-urgent elective surgery will resume in a phased approach from February 7.

The surgeries will be back to 75 per cent in private and regional public hospitals next week.

"Management of each city hospital will make that decision as to when they are ready," Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.

Dr McMullen said she recognises the need for the pause but it's time to find other ways of managing hospital strain moving forward.

"We've got that uncertainty about what about the next wave? How are we going to manage winter when we have flu and potentially more coronavirus?

"We really do need a longer term solution and some reassurance that we are not going to keep pressing pause on surgery, and other aspects of healthcare, every time that we get a wave of COVID infections," she said.

A British Airways jet was filmed nearly toppling onto its side during a horror landing attempt at Heathrow Airport in London.

The pilot was forced to abort the wobbly touch down due to high winds.

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After the plane almost toppled onto its side, the pilot managed to steady the aircraft.

He pointed it back up to the skies and pulled off for another landing attempt.

You can watch the full video at the top of the page.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has no idea who was behind a series of text messages allegedly written by Gladys Berejiklian which were leaked at a public event yesterday.

In the text messages, Ms Berejiklian allegedly described Mr Morrison as a "horrible person", with an unnamed Liberal cabinet minister allegedly calling the PM a "fraud" and a "complete psycho". It is not known if the minister works at state or federal level.

Speaking on Today, Mr Morrison said he had not spoken to the former NSW Premier since yesterday's exchange at the National Press Club event.

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When asked by Ally Langdon if the former NSW Premier was still a "dear friend", Mr Morrison replied: "Of course."

Ms Berejiklian yesterday issued a statement saying she had "no recollection" of the alleged text, and today NSW Treasurer Matt Kean denied on 2GB that he was the source of the leak.

"It is unhelpful and mean-spirited," Mr Kean told Ben Fordham.

"I am a very close friend of Gladys and I know her too.

"It is a stupid political game."

Mr Morrison said he appreciated Ms Berejiklian's public statement, and went on to say that the alleged text messages had been leaked for "sensationalist purposes".

"I never accept at face value the things are put to me, particularly when they're done anonymously," he said.

"There was no context to it or any really details behind it.

"That's what happens from time to time."

The PM said his social media accounts showed he had supporters and critics.

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Mr Morrison described his experience at the National Press Club as "a pretty rough day".

"But that's alright, that goes with the job. I was happy to face those questions."

Speaking with Ray Hadley on 2GB, Mr Morrison said he was "happy to face music" because of the big election issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, security in Asia and the Pacific and economic uncertainty forecast to hit in the next 12 months.

"It was pretty brutal yesterday," he said.

"But, you know, I thought it would be."

During the event, Mr Morrison was asked if he wanted to apologise for taking a trip to Hawaii during the bushfires or the flawed vaccine rollout.

He was also put on the spot and quizzed if he knew the price of a loaf of bread or bottle of milk.

Mr Morrison said he was a target of "gotcha stuff" by the media.

This morning, Today host Ally Langdon again asked the PM if he knew the cost of bread.

"Which one do you want?" Mr Morrison replied.

"Do you want the rye bread or the multigrain or the sourdough?

"I was honest with people yesterday and they know that."

A major clean-up effort is underway in south-east Queensland after a "tornado-like" supercell ripped through the region yesterday afternoon.

It comes as a cold front sweeps through the nation's west, bringing relief from the stifling humidity being felt in most states and territories.

The cold air is expected to hit Canberra and Sydney today as it continues its surge north.

READ MORE: Australian musical industry icon Glenn Wheatley dead at 74

More than 100,000 lightning strikes were recorded in south east Queensland as an intense storm cell barrelled through, dropping 60mm of rain in 30 minutes in some parts, and bringing destructive winds.

In Brisbane and Logan 2500 homes are still without power. At the peak of the cell, around 30,000 homes were without power.

Queensland reporter Mia Glover described the conditions as "tornado-like".

"It was so scary for residents in Logan, these wild storms in particular that tornado- like cell that ripped through the area," she said.

"All the residents in the Logan area have gone without power all night.

"We are in Lennox Court which is a street heavily hit. So many trees down here. I am looking at homes that have had their roofs ripped off. Also a local school nearby. That has had trees ripped down as well."

The storm came as Queensland is in the grips of an oppressive heatwave with high humidity.

Energex said it is trying to get as much power back to residents as possible but it is concerned further storms forecast could hamper progress.

High humidity and heatwaves conditions are expected to put added pressure on the power grid, with Glover explaining more outages could happen.

The cold front is coming

Meanwhile residents in Canberra, Sydney, are Queensland are waiting for a cold front to hit and bring an end to the hot and humid conditions that have cloaked states for days.

The relief was palpable in Melbourne as the system moved through Victoria yesterday.

Weatherzone said Melbourne was more than five degrees cooler at midday than midnight, after it moved through.

Today maximum temperatures in Sydney and Canberra will tumble by as much as eight degrees from Tuesday's respective maximums of 31.9°C and 29.4°C.

Queensland will have to wait another night for the cold front, which is predicted to push all the way into Cairns.

Heavy rain transforms outback

And in the state's north heavy rain has continued to fall, the work of a slow-moving monsoon trough.

Rivers have formed in Uluru and Alice Springs, forcing the closure of several walking tracks.

Parts of the Kimberley in Western Australia has also been lashed with the heaviest rainfall in 120 years.

The multi-day deluge leaving towns, roads, and railways underwater.

Weatherzone warned the rain will continue, urging businesses and residents across northern WA to prepare.

"Expect heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and damaging winds to continue as the monsoon trough and a low-pressure system deepen in the region," it wrote.

"Broome Airport has recorded 326mm of rain since 9am Monday morning, with 48-hour totals reaching a 120-year high of 563mm.

"In just two days, Broome airport received more rain than during the whole of 2021."

Here's what the weather is doing around the nation's capitals today.

Brisbane

Brisbane has another hot, humid and wet day in store, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) saying there's a high chance of late showers.

Another thunderstorm is likely in the afternoon and evening, with possible heavy falls.

The mercury will reach 34C.

Sydney

A cold change is being felt in Sydney with temperatures reaching just 24C degrees today. It will be cloudy with a high chance of showers.

Canberra

The nation's capital is also feeling the relief of the cold air mass, with a maximum of just 21C forecast.

It will be cloudy with a medium chance of a shower or two. This will become less likely during the afternoon.

Melbourne

After a low of 14C, the temperature will climb to 20C in Melbourne and there's a slight chance of a shower.

Hobart

Temperatures will hit a low of 10C in the Tasmanian capital today before they climb to a maximum of 19C.

It will be partly cloudy, with a high chance of showers, most likely late this afternoon and evening.

Adelaide

In Adelaide temperatures will range between a low of 14C and 22C.

It will be cloudy and winds will tend to be south to southeasterly at 25 to 35 km/h.

Darwin

A cloudy, wet and humid day is in store for Darwin, which will reach 31C.

The BoM has forecast a high chance of showers and the chance of a thunderstorm, possibly severe with damaging winds.

Winds will tend northwesterly at 20 to 30 km/h.

Perth

Perth will experience a low of 17C before temperatures climb to a hot 34C. It will be a clear, sunny day with winds tending easterly at 25 to 35 km/h.

The family of a western Sydney woman found dead in a bathtub filled with acid tried to stop her moving in with her husband.

The body of 19-year-old Aminah Hayat was found in a bathtub filled with acid on Sunday, with tubs of the chemical uncovered in the same room.

Ms Hayat had been living in the unit on Pennant Hills Road in North Parramatta with her husband, Meraj Zafar, and their pet cat, who was rescued from the scene.

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Officers were initially called by a member of Mr Zafar's family who were concerned for the welfare of Ms Hayat.

Neighbours reported hearing screaming in the hours before detectives broke down the door.

Police made an appeal for Mr Zafar, 20, to come forward yesterday.

The 20-year-old later handed himself into Bankstown Police station where he was arrested and then charged with murder.

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Ms Hayat had moved to Australia from Bangladesh as a young girl.

Sources in the community told 9News that Ms Hayat's parents had tried to stop her from seeing and moving in with Mr Zafar.

Neighbours said the couple had only moved into the apartment late last year but seemed happy.

"The lady, she was I think … happy in her life because sometimes I heard the music loudly," neighbour Ali Safari told 9News.

"My opinion, in her life, I think she was happy."

READ MORE: 'Oppressive' heatwave warning for Queensland

Mr Zafar remained behind bars as his matter was mentioned at Bankstown Local Court today.

His lawyer did not make an application for bail.

"He's distraught about being in custody, it's just a matter of whether he wants to fight these charges or not," Mr Zafar's lawyer, Mohamed Sakr, said.

Mr Zafar will remain in jail until his next appearance at Parramatta Local Court in April.

If you or somebody you know needs help, contact the National Domestic Violence Service on 1800 737 732. If you are in immediate danger call Triple Zero.

By RNZ A group of Christchurch residents are crying out for help dealing with a crappy situation plaguing their neighbourhood. Families living on Dudley St say thousands of birds nesting in trees above their homes are covering…

A small but powerful storm has hit parts of south-east Queensland, uprooting trees, collapsing roofs and leaving 23,000 without power, as a severe heatwave continues across the state.

Ripping through Logan, south of Brisbane, the storm brought severe winds and hailstones, while a home in the suburb of Woolridge lost its roof.

Resident Hulita Manoa said she's grateful her family stayed safe during the unpredictable storm.

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"We just thank God that we're still all alive as a family," she said.

"The next step is we're about to look for shelter."

Clean-ups in debris-filled Logan continue as the storm travels south towards the Gold Coast.

Of the 23,000 homes that lost power in south-east Queensland, 15,000 were in the Logan area.

The power outages come amid warnings from energy suppliers to monitor energy usage over the next two days, with widespread blackouts anticipated due to the state's scorching temperatures.

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Powerlink Chief Executive Paul Simshauser said electricity use could reach "record demand," surpassing the current record set in 2019 as humidity intensifies and the demand for air conditioning spikes.

"We're encouraging electricity customers to reduce their energy consumption where safe to do so over the next two days," Mr Simshauser said.

Affected residents should try to reduce their use of air conditioning units, if safe to do so, in a bid to drive down the demand on suppliers, he said.

"By reducing electricity use at home and in your workplace, the community can help ensure that power system security is maintained in Queensland," Mr Simshauser said.

Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said power companies and large industrial energy consumers were working to reduce energy demand.

"It is possible that Queensland's previous record demand of 10,044MW will be exceeded on either today or tomorrow," Mr De Brenni said.

"Essential services such as hospitals, transport networks, ports, airports and other key infrastructure will stay online."

Some helpful tips to lower power usage include not using the air conditioner in every room and setting temperatures to 24C or above.

Turning off televisions, computers, pool pumps, spa or pool heaters and unnecessary lights can also reduce strain on the power system.

'Oppressive' heat to continue

Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said the sweltering heatwave had created "oppressive" conditions in south-east Queensland, with hotter than average days and nights anticipated for the next few days.

"While bursts of heat are common in southeast Queensland during summer, the next few days and nights are going to feel oppressive in Brisbane," Mr Domensino said.

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"Unfortunately, there will not be much relief from the heat overnight, with temperatures not expected to drop below 25C on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights."

Extremely hot and muggy weather triggered by a humid airmass settling over the state, exacerbated by a lack of sea breeze, is forecast to make already hot summer temperatures feel 5C to 10C hotter, with some regions to top 40C.

Ms Domesino said hot unstable weather could also trigger severe thunderstorms Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.

The Bureau of Meteorology has labelled the heatwave 'severe,' in Brisbane and surrounds, north to Gladstone.

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https://twitter.com/QldAmbulance/status/1488297839881236481

BoM forecasts predict humidity levels to creep to 82 per cent at 10 pm tonight and 88 per cent by 10 pm Wednesday, February 2, after dipping in the middle of the day.

Humidity levels in the south-east are predicted to be similar to conditions regularly felt in the state's tropical far north, with several residents seeking respite from the sweltering heat.

Brisbane is expected to reach 35 today, while on the Gold Coast ocean temperatures have reached a tepid 26 degrees.

The towns of Saint George, Cunnamulla, Dirranbandi, and Goondoowindi are predicted to reach or exceed 40 degrees throughout the day.

Queensland Ambulance Service also warned residents to be mindful of the extreme heat, and to take extra care in these conditions, particularly children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

QAS advised to stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day 10 am- 3pm, wear loose fitted clothing, sunscreen and a hat and drink plenty of water.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has reminded Queenslanders to keep an eye on their elderly neighbours as extreme heat grips the state today and tomorrow. 

"Look after yourselves and look after your families," she said. 

Extreme heat conditions are predicted to cool off slightly on Thursday, with humidity levels lessening throughout the day.

Kiwi journalist Charlotte Bellis says she won’t give up fighting for the rights of other pregnant New Zealanders locked out of their home country after she was offered an MIQ spot after a hard-fought public battle with the Government….

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she has "no recollection" of an alleged private text message exchange about Prime Minister Scott Morrison, aired by a journalist during a question and answer session with Mr Morrison.

Journalist Peter Van Onselen told Mr Morrison during the Press Club lunch he was in possession of private text messages sent between former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and an unnamed current Liberal cabinet minister. It is unclear if the unnamed minister works at state or federal level.

"In one (Ms Berejiklian) describes you as, 'a horrible, horrible person,'" Van Onselen alleged. He also alleged the cabinet minister described Mr Morrison as a 'fraud' and 'a complete psycho'.

Mr Morrison appeared to be taken aback by the question and responded: "I don't know who you're referring to. Or the basis of what you've put to me. But I obviously don't agree with it. And I don't think that that is my record."

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READ MORE: 'Oppressive' heatwave warning for Queensland

Ms Berejiklian later issued a statement in response to the alleged text messages.

"I understand there has been some commentary today concerning myself and the PM," she said.

"I have no recollection of such messages.

"Let me reiterate my very strong support for Prime Minister Morrison and all he is doing for our nation during these very challenging times.

"I also strongly believe he is the best person to lead our nation for years to come."

Mr Morrison has publicly been a vocal supporter of the former premier, touting her as a potential candidate in the federal electorate of Warringah.

The former premier resigned last year after it was revealed she was to be the subject of an inquiry by the state corruption watchdog around if she engaged in conduct that involved a breach of public trust. Ms Berejiklian has denied any wrongdoing.