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Bleak weather in Melbourne is threatening to throw the Australian Open schedule into complete chaos.
Organisers already had to scramble to cram 22 cancelled or postponed first-round singles matches from Tuesday into the day-three program before more rain compounded their troubles.
Early play on Wednesday was confined to Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena, which all have roofs.
But no play was possible on the outside courts until at least 3pm - and even that looked optimistic as showers continued under grey skies.
With the extreme heat policy implemented on Tuesday amid temperatures in the high-30s, leading to almost three hours of delays, before evening showers forced more multiple stoppages, the backlog of matches was already a headache for organisers.
Australians Thanasi Kokkinakis, Max Purcell and Aleksandar Vukic are among the players who hope to finish their respective first-round matches on Wednesday after the weather wiped them out on Tuesday night.
A total of 10 matches had been cancelled and another 12 postponed at varying stages.
They were all rescheduled for day three, when the other side of the draw was supposed to finish the second round.
Kokkinakis was only five points away from a potential straight-sets win over Fabio Fognini, leading 6-1 6-2 4-2 with the Italian serving at 15-40.
Vukic was part way through his clash with American qualifier Brandon Holt, trailing 6-4 1-6 4-2.
Purcell was about to enter a potentially decisive fourth-set tiebreak with Emil Ruusuvuori, down 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-6 against the Finn.
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Residents in the Mackay region of North Queensland remain at serious risk of flooding, despite hopes conditions will ease following days of heavy rainfall.
Dozens of travellers were also stranded as severe storms drenched the region, inundating roads and properties.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicted rainfall over the Central Coast and Whitsundays would shift offshore over Tuesday night.
A severe weather warning remained in place as of Tuesday evening, stretching from Sarina to Bowen in the north.
Many waterways in the area had already broken their banks after more than 300mm of rain fell in the 24 hours to Tuesday afternoon.
The Mackay Regional Council warned people living in the Sandy Creek, Eton and Kinchant Dam areas they could see more flooding in low-lying parts depending on the amount of rainfall moving into Wednesday.
"Make sure you have enough food, water, medicine and pet food for two days. Stay away from rivers and creeks. Stay informed because conditions may change overnight."
Acting premier Steven Miles said the priority would be ensuring locals had adequate access to food, water and other supplies, with some areas likely to be isolated for days.
"Our concern at this stage is resupply for those communities who are now isolated," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"Those communities may be isolated for days or even up to a week."
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The Australian music world is mourning singer and ARIA Hall of Famer Renee Geyer after her death from complications following hip surgery at the age of 69.
Melbourne-born Geyer, one of Australia's most respected and successful soul singers, was discovered to have inoperable lung cancer while being treated in hospital.
She died surrounded by family and friends, her record label Mushroom Records announced on Tuesday.
"Naturally, we are all utterly devastated," a statement said.
"Just last month, Renee sang to a full house and was looking forward to another busy year ahead doing what she loved most.
"She lived her life as she performed - to the fullest - and her passing leaves a giant void in the Australian music industry."
Geyer fronted a number of bands in the 1970s, including jazz-rock group Sun, before beginning her four-decade solo career.
In 1973, the first of her 15 studio albums was released.
But it was her 1974 cover of the James Brown classic It's a Man's Man's Man's World that launched her to a mass audience.
The singer was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005 and became the first woman to be inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame in 2013.
She also received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the Australian Women in Music Awards in 2018 and appeared on the ABC's music quiz show Spicks and Specks.
Mushroom Group chief executive, Matt Gudinski, who is the son of legendary promoter Michael Gudinski, said Geyer was a "fierce, independent, strong and passionate" trailblazer for women in the music industry.
"Renee always did things her own way and we loved her for that," Mr Gudinski said.
Geyer continued to perform and release music after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, with her last album released in 2013.
She was spared a criminal conviction in 2017 over an abusive and intimidating racist rant in 2015 that caused a Sydney hotel receptionist to cry and fear for her safety.
It wasn't her only time fronting court, twice avoiding convictions for careless driving after two car crashes in Melbourne.
A 2013 poll ranked her the seventh-best Australian voice of all time.
Fellow soul singer and friend Kate Ceberano said Geyer carved the word woman into the psyche of the Australian music mentality.
"You strutted into our hearts and lives with your soul in your sleeve," she wrote on Facebook.
"Renee the powerful, the diva, the brutal, the original, the temperamental, the stellar, the shapeshifter, the original, the unforgettable, the irreplaceable Renee!"
Australian music legend Marcia Hines described Geyer as a game changer, a soul diva, her sister in song and possessing one of the greatest voices she has ever heard.
Joe Camilleri of The Black Sorrows described Geyer as a "singer's singer."
"Let's not forget the many who were influenced by Renee. Her contribution should never be forgotten.Soul free in sweet harmony," Camilleri posted on Facebook.
Geyer sang backup vocals on a number of Hoodoo Gurus albums, prompting the band to post on social media she had changed all their lives for the better.
"Renee was a fiercely original talent who carved out a huge legacy in Australian music," the band posted.
A memorial for Geyer will be held at a later date.
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North Queensland towns and villages that are already isolated remain on alert for further flooding, with dozens of travellers stranded as severe storms drench the region with torrential rain for a fourth day.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a fresh warning for heavy to intense rainfall between Ayr and St Lawrence including Mackay, Proserpine and Bowen on Tuesday afternoon.
Senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury says many catchments have already broken their banks after more than 300mm of rain fell in 24 hours.
"Catchments in central and northern Queensland are saturated and will respond rapidly to further rainfall," she told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
"Dangerous flash flooding remains possible, particularly around the coast and ranges north of Mackay to Nebo."
The Mackay Regional Council has warned people living in the Sandy Creek, Eton and Kinchant Dam areas that further rainfall could cause more flooding in low-lying parts over the next 12-24 hours.
"Warn friends, family and neighbours in the area. Help others if you can," the council posted on Facebook.
"Make sure you have enough food, water, medicine and pet food for two days. Stay away from rivers and creeks. Stay informed because conditions may change overnight."
Thousands of people in the areas north of Mackay including Bloomsbury, Midge Point, Lethebrook, Laguna Quays, Calen, Pindi Pindi, Yalbaroo, St Helens Beach, Mount Ossa and Seaforth are hemmed in by the deluge.
Acting premier Steven Miles said the priority would be ensuring locals had adequate access to food, water and other supplies, with some areas likely to be isolated for days.
"Our concern at this stage is resupply for those communities who are now isolated," he told reporters.
"Those communities may be isolated for days or even up to a week."
Dozens of travellers have also been stranded in the region with Queensland's main road artery, the Bruce Highway, cleaved by torrents in at least five different places.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services warned people to stay away from the floodwaters, which in the tropics carry an extra risk as the preferred stalking ground for saltwater crocodiles.
The agency posted a picture of one marine reptile swimming beside a flooded road near Proserpine on Tuesday afternoon.
"Here's just one of the reasons you should stay clear of floodwaters!" QFES wrote on Facebook.
"Can you spot what's lurking in the water near the highway in Proserpine?"
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast the intense rainfall to start easing to showers from Tuesday night and into Wednesday as the low-pressure system moves offshore.
Showers and thunderstorms across much of northern Australia and inland Queensland have not been a dampener for everyone though, with farmers optimistic about the year ahead.
AgForce chief executive Michael Guerin said the rainfall set up the sector for strong production in the coming months.
"However, producers and industry are keeping a close eye on events and are prioritising human and animal safety in preparation for more widespread flooding," he said in a statement.
"AgForce is also working closely with the State Government on disaster management plans. We encourage producers and communities to stay close to their local disaster coordination centres."
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