Thousands of people have been asked to evacuate in west Sydney on Sunday as torrential rains and floods continued in what has been described as the worst flooding in over fifty years.
Torrential rain lashed Australia’s south east again Monday, inundating coastal areas of New South Wales, with parts of Sydney experiencing what officials predicted would be the biggest flood in decades.
On Monday, some hard-hit areas received 10 inches of rain in 24 hours and about eight million residents have been told to avoid unnecessary travel and work from home.
Commenting on the extreme weather conditions, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said about 18,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and 38 regions have been declared disaster zones.
Also, Emergency services have received at least 8,800 calls for help and rescued hundreds of people from floodwaters since the crisis began.
There were reports of homes and businesses sustaining severe damage but according to CEO, Insurance Council of Australia, Andrew Hall, it was too early to understand the extent of the damage to property and to estimate the insurance damage bill.
Scientists have warned Australia can expect to see more frequent and more extreme weather events as a result of climate change and Rainfall records were forecast to continue in the coming days.
Authorities are equally warning of a potentially life-threatening situation although so far there have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries.
Health officials say the rain and floods will delay the already halting roll-out of corona-virus vaccines in Sydney and surrounding areas.
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