One of the victims took out a loan to hire Jason Lambert and is still paying it off.

Almost 3000 homes and businesses remain without power in south-east Queensland after the region was hit by more severe storms yesterday.

While there are no storms on the forecast today, the region has sweltered in temperatures well over 30 degrees as the clean-up effort continues.

The heat is expected to linger into the weekend, with some further destructive storms possible tomorrow, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

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The Bureau also issued its long term forecast today, warning of a sweltering summer with warm nights to come.

Power still out for thousands

Up to 2000 customers, many on Bribie Island which was hardest hit by storms last weekend, have been without power since Monday.

Earlier today, Energex said a clear forecast should allow crews to restore power to all affected homes and businesses by tonight.

Six weekends in a row of severe storms have triggered an "insurance catastrophe" declaration by the Insurance Council of Australia, meaning storm-damage claims will be prioritised.

Disaster payments have also been activated for five south-east Queensland government areas, $180 for individuals and up to $900 for families.

Wednesday night's storm dumped hail on the Brisbane CBD, Milton and Bardon, as well as Elanora and Palm Beach on the Gold Coast.

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Warwick on the Southern Downs was hit by strong winds that tore roofs off houses, and brought down trees and powerlines.

The Warwick Turf Club was forced to temporarily close after some of its facilities and infrastructure were destroyed.

The machinery shed was torn to pieces and collapsed within minutes, while part of the clubhouse roof also went flying.

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An award-winning winemaker found dead after a house fire has been remembered by a shaken community as "deeply loved" and a "light".

The body of Peter Fraser, 51, was found inside his burning home on Chalk Hill Road in Clarendon in the Adelaide Hills yesterday afternoon after emergency services received reports of the blaze.

He leaves behind his barrister wife Tessa Hume, his two children and two step-children.

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The Yangarra Estate winemaker and general manager has been remembered as "loved, respected, and admired" by his colleagues.

"For more than 25 years, Pete was the driving force behind Yangarra and was an incredible winemaker, thought leader, mentor, and a defining voice in the industry," the McLaren Vale vineyard said in a statement.

"All of us who had the privilege of working with him are devastated by this loss. He was deeply loved, and his legacy is profound.

"Our thoughts are with his family and with the many friends whose lives he touched.

"We ask our community to keep his loved ones in their thoughts during this incredibly difficult time."

Born to chicken farmers in 1974, Fraser grew up on a property near McLaren Vale before going on to study winemaking at the University of Adelaide.

He also served in the army reserves and sold bulk manure from the chicken farm.

South Australian Cattle Co. managing director Tim Burvill said he became friends with Fraser in university, where they "clicked immediately".

"After graduation, Pete and I moved in together, and both landed jobs in the Barossa Valley, with Pete starting his winemaking career at St Hallett Winery," he said.

"I remember we thought we'd made it in life, and celebrated by each buying a mobile phone. He was the first person I ever spoke to on one.

"From those early days, Pete's star continued to rise."

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Fraser became the chief winemaker at Normans Wines before he was approached by the Jackson family to help establish Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale in 2000.

The 51-year-old has been described as the driving force behind the vineyard, growing it to its acclaimed status it has today.

His attention to detail, gentle and sensitive practices and innovative techniques helped create award-winning wines.

His 2023 High Sands Grenache⁠ and 2023 Ovitelli Blanc⁠ were named in Halliday Wine Companion's top 100 wines of 2025.

Fraser himself was awarded the title of winemaker of the year by Halliday in 2015 and most recently by Drinks Business in 2025.

The Australian wine industry has been left shaken by the news of his death and has paid tribute to him today.

"We are heartbroken. A light has gone out in our world. We will treasure the memories of all the chats, dinners, tastings and wonderful wines… rest in peace Pete, you will be missed more than our words can express," Alkina Wines said.

"This has rocked our small wine community tragically. Pete was a driving force of change in McLaren Vale and Australia. He will be sorely missed. Thoughts and prayers with his family, colleagues and friends," Liquid Links said.

"Vale, Pete. Heartbreaking news. One of the best people. Thoughts to Tessa and family," Crawford River Wines said.

The house fire is being investigated, but police do not believe his death is suspicious and are preparing a report for the coroner. 

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

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Emergency services were called to the scene about 3.10pm.

Developer Jonathan Quigley promises 28% ecological planting and advanced water treatment.

The 66-year-old died in his sleep after completing a 19km stretch of the trail.

A mural at a Sydney train station has been removed after being labelled "AI slop".

At first glance, the scene at Redfern train station depicting an Aussie Christmas appears to be done by an artist, speckled with icons of Australia, such as thongs, Santa and beach umbrellas.

However, upon closer inspection, people noticed the art appeared to have been created by artificial intelligence, with telltale signs including a kangaroo with the head of a koala and an Australian flag floating mid-air.

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A bandicoot-type rodent with its limbs disconnected from its body was also spotted on the mural.

The mural garnered attention online after being slammed as "AI slop" on Reddit's r/sydney board.

The term refers to low-quality content created by generative AI, which often contains errors.

"Sydney Trains' Redfern Station staff have displayed artwork for several years to help create a positive end-of-year atmosphere for our customers," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said in a statement.

"We received feedback about this year's display and, in response, have decided to remove the artwork," the spokesperson said.

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“He provided a sample, but it was not human urine.”

The Bureau of Meteorology has declared that La Niña is under way off Australia just days ahead of summer, but a counteracting weather event means it will not be as impactful as other La Niñas.

Conditions consistent with the weather phenomenon have been observed in the Pacific Ocean since early October, with meteorologists today saying all signs point to La Niña.

"There are clear signs the tropical Pacific ocean and atmosphere are now coupled, meaning they are acting to reinforce and sustain the La Niña pattern," the Bureau of Meteorology said.

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"Atmospheric indicators, such as trade winds, pressure and cloud patterns over the equatorial central Pacific, also show consistent signs of La Niña."

The last La Niña was in 2023.

The Bureau of Meteorology's La Niña declarations are mostly retrospective, meaning conditions need to be present in the ocean and atmosphere for some time before it can be determined that the event is occurring.

The La Niña declaration comes after warmer-than-average waters were observed across much of the Australian region, with sea surface temperatures the second warmest on record for October.

Meteorologists forecast that the unusually warm conditions are likely to continue from December through to February, particularly for the east coast. 

This could worsen the severity of rainfall, storms and cyclones.

But this year's La Niña appears to be quite weak and forecast to be short-lived, with levels returning to neutral by early 2026.

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"Our rainfall forecast currently suggests there will be little overall influence from this event," the Bureau of Meteorology said.

The Bureau of Meteorology's latest long-range outlooks predict near or below average rainfall and abnormally warm days for much of the country this summer.

Weatherzone said one of the reasons why La Niña is not having too much of an influence on the weather is because of the ongoing negative southern annular mode in the Southern Hemisphere, which has been in place since early October.

The southern annular mode is a shift in strong westerly winds over Australia, which can counteract the influence of La Niña's easterly winds.

"The current negative southern annular mode phase has indeed been hindering La Nina's influence on Australian weather in recent months, and this influence may linger into early summer," Weatherzone said. 

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What is La Niña?

La Niña is one of the phases of a Pacific Ocean phenomenon called the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, which affects weather patterns roughly every two to seven years. 

The event occurs when equatorial winds become stronger, changing the ocean currents.

In Australia, it is synonymous with increased rainfall, storms, and tropical cyclones in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

El Niño and neutral are the other phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation.

El Niño typically leads to drier conditions, higher temperatures and a greater risk of heatwaves and bushfires in northern and eastern parts of the country.

The phenomenon is considered one of the most important climate drivers in our region.

It has a large impact on Australia, as well as every other continent in the world, particularly South America, Asia and Africa.

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A psychiatrist was put in a "grossly unfair" position when asked about whether her long-time client was experiencing psychosis when he stabbed 16 people, her lawyer says. 

Joel Cauchi, 40, was experiencing psychotic symptoms and armed with a knife on April 13, 2024, when he killed six people and injured 10 others, including a nine-month-old baby.

Dawn Singleton, 25, Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27, and security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, died before Cauchi was fatally shot by Inspector Amy Scott. 

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Contrary to expert evidence Cauchi was "floridly psychotic" at the time of the attack, his long-time psychiatrist Andrea Boros-Lavack initially suggested he was motivated by frustration and hatred of women.

"That was nothing to do with psychosis," she told an inquest. 

She later withdrew the speculation but it was deemed "shocking, genuinely shocking" by counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC in her closing address. 

Dwyer noted the psychiatrist had shown an "exceptional … level of belligerence and confrontation" in the witness box, but Boros-Lavack's lawyer took issue with the criticism. 

His client had been in pain, on medication and "clearly felt she was under attack" during the questioning, Mark Lynch said today. 

Boros-Lavack was unqualified to answer the question because she had been called as a treating psychiatrist instead of an expert and hadn't read the expert reports, Lynch said. 

"It was grossly unfair to be forced to give an answer to that question," he said. 

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Suggestions she had been attempting to justify her decision to wean Cauchi off antipsychotic medication or her statement that he didn't have chronic schizophrenia were "perverse", he argued.

"It's deeply regrettable that the families felt further traumatised by those remarks, but in one sense they never should have been asked," Lynch told the inquest. 

An audible scoff was heard in the courtroom and Dr Dwyer was seen shaking her head. 

Cauchi had been successfully treated for schizophrenia since he was a teenager before he decided with Dr Boros-Lavack to wean off antipsychotic medication.

"He decided for himself 'I'm not going to take those anymore'. Dr Boros-Lavack cannot be blamed for that," Lynch told the inquest. 

The psychiatrist's "largely exemplary care" for eight years could not be said to be a material cause for his rampage on the Bondi Junction Westfield centre four years later, he said. 

Although she had admitted there were deficiencies in her discharge of Cauchi into the care of his general practitioner, Lynch said there was no warrant to refer Dr Boros-Lavack for referral to a regulatory body as suggested by the victims' families. 

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Cauchi fell through the cracks of mental health care after moving from Queensland to NSW and becoming homeless, the inquest has been told. 

Dr Dwyer suggested the coroner recommend psychiatry regulatory bodies develop guidelines for the management of patients with chronic schizophrenia. 

She proposed a focus on professional guidelines for de-prescribing antipsychotic medication when patients decline to continue.

They should include strict requirements for a discharge letter for a patient with treatment-resistent schizophrenia, such as the probability of relapse and early warning signs.

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