Dust storms and giant hail batter bushfire-weary Australia

This handout photo taken on Jan 17, 2020 and received on Jan 20 courtesy of Marcia Macmillan shows a child running towards a dust storm in Mullengudgery in New South Wales. (Photo: Handout / Courtesy of Marcia Macmillan / AFP)

The southern city of Melbourne was lashed by huge hailstones late Sunday (Jan 19) and fire-ravaged parts of Victoria state overnight received heavy rainfall, prompting new extreme weather alerts.

Australia has since October been overwhelmed by an unprecedented bushfire season made worse by climate change.

Swathes of the country have burned, hundreds of millions of animals have died, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed and at least 29 lives have been lost.

Dramatic images captured over the weekend from western New South Wales show a massive wall of dust rolling through outback towns. Locals reported being cast into darkness in the middle of the day.

"We are used to the ritual and rush of bringing in washing, turning air cons off, closing windows and doors, before a big dust storm hits," Ashleigh Hull from the rural town of Dubbo told AFP.

This one was "more spectacular" than the typical dust storm, she added.

"It was honestly like an apocalyptic movie, a huge wave coming towards us, really quite impressive, but I just wish it actually brought a good amount of rain, not dust."

Violent hail storms pelted the capital Canberra Monday, with footage showing the storm ripping branches off trees.

Emergency services were warning people there to "move cars undercover and away from trees and power lines".

The bureau of meteorology told people in the southeast of New South Wales to be "well prepared" for the approaching storm.

"Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging, locally destructive winds, large, possibly giant hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours," the bureau said.

In Victoria, where bushfires continue to smoulder, heavy rainfall overnight was welcomed in fire grounds in the north, but authorities said it also brought with it new dangers.

State Premier Daniel Andrews said the rain meant "much more dangerous conditions" for those operating heavy machinery to get into areas damaged by bushfires, while landslides complicated efforts to open up closed roads.

The wet weather has brought a reprieve for many fire grounds along the east coast, but authorities remain on high alert, warning that the bushfire season still has weeks to run.