About 60,000 residents of the Australian metropolis of Sydney have been told that they have to leave their homes due to the heavy rainfall and flooding. Emergency services are urging residents to be “vigilant”.
Meteorologists warn of flooding due to “intense rainfall and a very dangerous thunderstorm”, especially in Sydney and Hawkesbury and the Blue Mountains. “We have a tough 24 hours or even 48 hours ahead of us,” the Australian Meteorological Service said. “And even if the rain stops on Wednesday and Thursday, the rivers will still be flooded.”
Almost 822 millimeters of rain has fallen in Sydney since January 1. This makes it the wettest start of the year in the city since the measurements started.
The death toll from the floods, which hit much of Australia’s east coast, has risen to 18 today. Police are still looking for a mother and her son. Their car was found in western Sydney.
Closed roads, damaged infrastructure and power outages
The storm has caused similar damage to property and wildlife to the wildfires of 2019 and 2020, a spokesman for the emergency services said. They have the same impact on the population: closed roads, damaged infrastructure and power outages.
In northern New South Wales, floods have destroyed homes, washed away cars and forced hundreds of residents to shelter on their roofs. Mullumbimby, a town south of Brisbane, has been cut off from the rest of the world for several days. There is no telephone connection and outside help is not available.
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