Extreme winds and blizzard-like conditions hit Mount Wellington in Tasmania

A hiker stranded in the Tasmanian mountains has shared footage of the extreme blizzard conditions he faced before emergency services rescued him.

The hiker, along with seven other climbers, became trapped in intensifying winds, reaching 100kmh, and snow on Mount Wellington’s summit, which overlooks Tasmania’s capital city, just after midday on Saturday.

In a bid to survive the conditions the group took shelter in a toilet block on the summit.Australian Authorities said two of the walkers, a 27-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl, were “very lucky to be alive” and are currently being treated in hospital for hypothermia.

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