News in 5: Mum's hail storm bravery; Harry and Meghan land in Australia; Kangaroo attack.

-With AAP

1. “It just got heavier and heavier.” Mum’s act of bravery to protect baby in severe hail storm.

The young mother who was pelted with giant hailstones while shielding her baby during freak southeast Queensland thunderstorms is being nominated for a bravery award.

Fiona Simpson, 23, was left with horrific bruising and cuts after hail blew out her car windshield last week near Kingaroy, however she managed to protect her baby girl from the brunt of the storm.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was an "extraordinary" story and promised to recommend Ms Simpson for a bravery award.

"We will be recommending her for a bravery award," the premier confirmed on Sunday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also praised Ms Simpson's courage.

"I certainly think she is one of the bravest people I have read of lately," Mr Morrison said.

Ms Simpson had been travelling on the D'Aguilar Highway between Kingaroy and Gympie on Thursday afternoon with her grandmother and baby daughter Clara when tennis-ball-sized hailstones smashed into their car.

"I didn't realise the danger of what hail could do," Ms Simpson told Nine News.

"I jumped in the back seat and just covered (Clara) with my body, hoping for it to pass, but it just got heavier and heavier."

She and her grandmother had to spend a night in hospital and she posted confronting images of her injuries on social media, revealing her back, shoulders and arms were entirely covered in angry welts and bruises.

Hail measuring between 5cm and 7cm fell in the region during the storm event, covering the ground thickly in some parts.

Bravery awards in Australia are administered through the department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and range from the highest honour of the Cross of Valour to a commendation for Brave Conduct.

They are usually announced in two batches every year around April and August.

2. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have touched down in Australia.

Prince Harry and Meghan arriving in Australia #9News https://t.co/o7JLoA6QUO

— Nine.com.au (@Ninecomau) October 14, 2018

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived in Sydney a day before kicking off their first overseas tour as a royal couple.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down just after 6am on a overcast Sydney morning after the long-haul British Airways flight from London.

They have 76 engagements across 16 days in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, which will include Sydney, Dubbo, Melbourne and Queensland's Fraser Island.

The tour coincides with the Invictus Games in Sydney, which runs from October 20-28. The sporting event founded by Prince Harry in 2014 gives sick and injured service personnel and veterans the opportunity to compete in sports such as wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

The couple will mark the games' launch and closing ceremony in Sydney.

Harry and Meghan's tour of Australia is seen as a key one for the royal couple who, during a TV interview to mark their engagement last November, spoke of their desire to promote humanitarian causes close to their hearts across Commonwealth member countries including Australia.

The visit comes six months after Prince Charles made his 16th official visit to Australia, primarily to open the 21st Commonwealth Games on Queensland's Gold Coast.

3. Police allege a 16-year-old boy raped a man in a Sydney car park.

A teenage boy who allegedly raped an adult man in an underground car park in Sydney's west will face a children's court.

The 16-year-old approached the 53-year-old man, who was unknown to him, in an underground car park in Mt Druitt at 1am on Sunday, NSW Police said.

The teenager allegedly pulled out a large knife and threatened the man, who tried to flee.

But the boy chased him down and sexually assaulted him, police said.

The man called police after the ordeal and was taken to hospital.

The teenager was located in nearby Whalan a short time later - the knife was allegedly in his possession.

He was charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault and threatening bodily harm with a weapon.

He was denied bail and is expected before a children's court on Monday.

4. The Morrison Government is clawing back ground, polls show.

Morrison maintained his lead as preferred prime minister over Shorten at 45 to 34 per cent #Newspoll https://t.co/hkVF0q2IlD pic.twitter.com/Hz4mVblOvY

— The Australian (@australian) October 14, 2018

The coalition will start the week on the front foot after two polls revealed the government is gaining ground on Labor in the two-party preferred stakes.

The latest Newspoll, published in The Australian on Sunday night, shows Labor leads the coalition 53 per cent to 47 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, up from the government's low of 44 per cent following August's leadership spill.

Scott Morrison is the preferred prime minister over Labor's Bill Shorten, 45 per cent to 35, but Mr Shorten's result is an increase of two per cent.

The poll closely aligns to another Sunday survey by Fairfax-Ipsos, which put the coalition on 45 per cent and Labor on 55 per cent in the two-party stakes.

But the Fairfax-Ipsos poll also shows voters are overwhelmingly opposed to giving religious schools the right to discriminate against gay teachers and students.

Seventy-four per cent of all voters are against passing laws that would give schools the power to select students and teachers based on their sexual orientation, relationship status or gender identity.

Only 21 per cent of voters support passing the laws.

Among coalition voters, 30 per cent support passing the laws while 62 per cent oppose them.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation voters were opposed to the legislation by a slim majority of 52 per cent.

5. Woman suffers horror injuries after being attacked by a kangaroo.

Kangaroo attack leaves Queensland wildlife carer with collapsed lung https://t.co/FgRsJ0cHJP

— The Guardian (@guardian) October 14, 2018

A Queensland wildlife carer has horrific injuries including a collapsed lung after the woman was attacked by a kangaroo.

Experienced wildlife carer Linda Smith, 64, had a collapsed lung, broken ribs, cuts and other injuries after a 183cm kangaroo attacked after she stepped in to stop it hurting her husband near Millmerran on Saturday night.

"I went outside to try and help him and took a broom and a piece of bread but he knocked the broom out of my hand then attacked me," Ms Smith said.

The woman's husband, Jim was feeding kangaroos and wallabies when the animal started to attack him.

"I got him off Jim and Jim got up and I managed to grab a piece of wood to defend myself with that," she said.

"Then my son came out to try and help me and hit him over the head with a shovel."

The woman who has cared for wildlife more the past 15 years is expected to undergo surgery on Sunday afternoon.

Despite the severity of the injuries Ms Smith said she understood what happened was an "act of nature" and didn't want to see the animal hurt.

"I am always careful, especially of the males. It's breeding time so they can be more aggressive... I don't want this kangaroo to be hunted down and killed; I love animals," she said.

Ms Smith remains in a stable condition at Toowoomba Hospital.