One person is dead, one injured and residents of more than 1200 mostly Papatoetoe homes – 60 of which are now uninhabitable – have been left picking up the pieces after an ordinary Saturday morning turned to terror when a tornado…

Police in South Australia have charged an alleged drunk driver who they say assaulted a police officer after flipping his car early this morning.

The 25-year-old driver allegedly clipped a pole in Pooraka, causing his ute to roll onto its roof before witnesses say he tried to make a run for it and hitch a ride away from the crash site.

"I was in bed and heard this almighty bang," witness, Pauline Way told 9News.

READ MORE: Driver allegedly caught drink driving twice in three hours

"How he got out of that car I do not know. It was a complete mess. I knew it was an accident, but I didn't know it was going to be that bad."

Ms Way said the man tried to get a lift from a passing driver, but they said: "No way, I'm not getting you out of it".

Police attending the callout managed to track the man down at the corner of Bridge and Montague Roads and say he assaulted one of the arresting officers when they were placing him in handcuffs.

The man was taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing and to be assessed for injuries after the crash.

READ MORE: Woman flips car during alleged drink driving incident

The Port Noarlunga man was charged with drink-driving, driving without due care, resisting arrest and assaulting police.

He was refused bail to appear before a judge on Monday.

Locals say this stretch of Bridge Street is notorious for fast drivers.

"We had an incident once where a car came up on the footpath and slammed into our fence," resident, Chris Douros told 9News.

A high-speed police chase across the border from NSW into Queensland has come to a spectacular end when an alleged joyrider ran out of fuel.

Police were able to corner the alleged driver when she pulled into a bowser at a service station in Carindale to refuel the BMW X6 last night.

The luxury vehicle was allegedly stolen from Casuarina in NSW yesterday and it came to police attention when they allegedly saw it speeding up the Pacific Highway just before midnight.

READ MORE: Accused car thief allegedly posted video of crimes on social media

Police say they followed the car to a street in Coomera, where a man allegedly hopped out and got into a Mazda before an 18-year-old woman allegedly took the wheel of the BMW and set off again.

The 20-year-old man allegedly driving the Mazda was stopped a short distance away and arrested.

Police continued chasing the BMW and the female driver was finally nabbed when she stopped to refuel, with officers taking just seconds to pounce.

Queensland Police Superintendent, Rhys Wildman said the speed the BMW was travelling is what drew its attention to police, discovering the vehicle was stolen once they began a pursuit.

Police say the woman allegedly behind the wheel tried to make a run for it when they closed in, but she was caught and placed in handcuffs.

READ MORE: Teen car thief admits 'rush' is addictive

"She's been charged with unlawful use and dangerous operation of a vehicle," Superintendent Wildman said.

While patrolling for the allegedly stolen BMW, police happened to come across another allegedly stolen car, a Mitsubishi ASX in Coomera, which was reported stolen two days ago.

A 20-year-old and two juveniles were arrested and charged over that alleged theft with all scheduled to appear before a magistrate.

A police dog has been killed while tracking a fugitive in Queensland, with the convicted murderer and drug dealer still on the run.

Police dog Rambo was struck by a car on the Bruce Highway at Maryborough West, on the Fraser Coast, about 1.08am today.

Rambo and his handler were pursuing convicted killer Alan Lace, who allegedly fled from police through bushland just after midnight.

Rambo was rushed to a nearby vet but could not be saved.

Lace was convicted of the 1999 shooting murder of Margaret James in her Caboolture home and jailed for life.

He has since been granted parole and was required to wear an ankle bracelet at all times as part of a strict supervision order.

Lace removed the bracelet last night, with police alerted and tracking him to a Maryborough West service station.

A subsequent search of Lace's car uncovered "a substantial amount of dangerous drugs, cash and other drug-related material", police said.

READ MORE: Sydney COVID-19 cluster grows

Police believe he may still be in the Maryborough area, however also has links to Childers.

Lace is described as Caucasian in appearance, around 180cm tall with a bald head and brown eyes.

Lace is considered dangerous and may be armed.

Queensland Police said Rambo was "a Fraser Coast local".

"He graduated from the academy in 2015 and worked tirelessly in keeping the Maryborough community safe," a police statement read.

"PD Rambo often assisted police in locating missing persons and successfully tracked two property offenders on Australia Day in 2019.

"All QPS dogs are part of their handler's family and the bond between handlers and their dogs makes them inseparable."

The State Dog Squad Capability Coordinator will conduct a review, as per police protocol.

Anyone who knows of Lace's whereabouts is asked to call police immediately on Triple Zero (000).

Victoria Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has defended his decision to fly to Canberra for a work event while much of the state were still restricted from travel, saying it was necessary to attend in person.

Mr Sutton has been criticised this week by the Victorian Liberals, who said that although the trip did not break any official rules, it was setting a bad example.

"We can't have visitors, we can't have people coming to our own homes, and yet the chief health officer, who's providing advice to the government, buzzes off to Canberra to a glitzy award night," Liberal health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier told 9News on Thursday.

READ MORE: Single new virus case in Victoria, linked to previously diagnosed case

"I think it says a lot about the priorities of the Chief Health Officer and of the Andrews government."

While Mr Sutton defended his actions, he also expressed his regret, saying that he wished he had not been the focus of the event.

"It was an event held over two days to honour medical researchers," he said.

"You can't really honour people for their fantastic research without being there in person.

"Maybe, if I could have my time again… I was disappointed that the distraction was about me and not about that important meeting."

Acting Victoria Premier James Merlino also weighed in on the trip, labelling Mr Sutton's decision "appropriate".

"It is an appropriate work-related event for our Chief Health Officer within the rules that all Victorians abide by and I think it was appropriate," Mr Merlino said.

READ MORE: Sydney cluster grows by two cases with new infections linked to Westfield

"He is a member of the national body around medical research. He's entitled to go there.

"The Federal Health Minister says the criticism of the Victorian CHO was unfair in these circumstances."

Victoria's latest round of restrictions were reversed yesterday, with people now able to gather outside, and mask-wearing also no longer mandatory.

The state has recorded just one local case of COVID-19 in the last day, a close contact of a previously reported infection.

Damaging winds and heavy rain have wreaked havoc in Sydney today, with a building evacuated on the Lower North Shore and ferry services cancelled in Manly.

Emergency crews were called to Harriott Street in Waverton just before midday when the top section of a three-storey building collapsed, bringing down powerlines on the street below.

Six people were evacuated from the site and Fire and Rescue NSW and police have set up an exclusion zone, with buses being diverted as well.

READ MORE: Storms, winter chill coming for weekend

Sydney Ferries also confirmed services in Manly had been cancelled due to the dangerous surf conditions whipped up by the weather system with buses sent in to replace them.

Beaches along the coast are also being battered with severe waves and the weather is expected to last through to at least Tuesday.

Weatherzone meteorologists said the strongest wind gust recorded so far today is 106km/h at Wattamolla just before 11am.

Other notable gusts are 100km/h at Montague Island, 89km/h at Kiama and 82km/h at Ulladulla.

The strongest gust in Sydney was recorded at 76km/h just after 11am.

https://twitter.com/FRNSW/status/1406083319167557635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/FerriesInfo/status/1406072533758132224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The intense weather system is due to a Tasman Low which is generating powerful winds, rain & dangerous surf along the NSW coast and eastern parts of Victoria.

Offshore, the low is generating very large waves, with some recording at 10 metres off Batemans Bay, Port Kembla and Sydney, and five metre waves off the NSW Mid North Coast.

Wave heights are expected to increase on the North Coast tomorrow, but are not likely to get as big as the South Coast or Sydney.

https://twitter.com/laurenkempe/status/1406120553262424064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1406067513377673220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Parts of Victoria are already dealing with the devastation from storms that swept through the state last week with thousands still without power and the damage bill expected to reach into the millions.

Australian Defence Force personnel arrived this weekend to help with the state's clean-up, delivering emergency generators to some of the 1500 still without power.

READ MORE: Eyewatering damage as thousands still without power in Victoria

Acting Premier James Merlino yesterday confirmed the majority of those affected by power outages were in the Dandenong Ranges.

Yesterday, a cold front moved into South Australia from inland, bringing with it record rainfall for Adelaide.

On Thursday night, the city recorded its wettest 24 hours in five years and the wettest June day since 2005, with the weather gauge in West Terrace recording a whopping 46 millimetres of rain.

The Australian Federal Government has confirmed it is taking China to the World Trade Organisation over the anti-dumping duties it has imposed on Australian wine.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) deals with the global rules of trade between nations.

READ MORE: Wine exports to China crash after heavy impact of tariffs

READ MORE: Clogged ports in China could deal blow to end-of-year shopping

Hefty tariffs of up to 212 per cent have been put on wine from Australia by Chinese authorities.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan is expected to speak shortly.

Australian wine exports to China collapsed to just $12 million in the four months that ended on March 31 from $325 million in the same period a year earlier.

https://twitter.com/Fi_Willan/status/1406023728983465989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Last month, figures from industry body Wine Australia revealed for the year to March, said the total value of Australian global wine exports dropped to $2.77 billion, a decline of four per cent compared with the year before.

This was mainly caused by "the toll taken by high Chinese tariffs", the document said.

The WHO says its main function "is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible."

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A quick-thinking British woman who saved her twin sister from being mauled to death by a crocodile in Mexico has spoken out about the ordeal.

Melissa and Georgia Laurie, 28, were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido when the former was grabbed by a crocodile, pulled underwater and savagely attacked.

Georgie Laurie recalled the moment the crocodile attacked her sister, saying the croc was "moving quick".

READ MORE: British woman fighting for life after her twin battles crocodile

"I saw it coming towards us but they move very silently. They look like they're moving slowly but they're moving quick," she told the BBC.

"I saw her getting taken underneath the water, and my worst fear became a reality, I thought we've probably lost her, that she's dead.

"I heard her scream and I saw her being taken underneath by the crocodile. The adrenaline kicked in and I saw her body floating and I thought at the moment honestly that she was no longer with us."

Ms Laurie said she pulled her sister from the water and tried to revive her, but the then crocodile came back for more.

"I grabbed her body and pulled her toward me and she was blue, I tried to revive her but then the crocodile came along and I beat it off," she said.

"That's when I sustained the most injuries because it grabbed her on the leg and her behind and tried to death roll her and drag her away.

"So I was beating it on its snout and it grabbed my wrist and arm and I had to beat it off with my other arm."

READ MORE: Rare dingo encounter captured on camera for the first time

But Ms Laurie said she doesn't consider herself a hero, despite undoubtedly saving her sister's life.

"It's hard to believe compliments yourself, because it feels surreal, it doesn't feel like it actually happened to me. It's taken a while to process."

After 12 days in hospital, many of which were spent in an induced coma, Melissa Laurie has finally been released.

The twins have since been reunited with their parents.