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Within 24 hours, Australian authorities had rescued hundreds of people stranded in floodwaters after nearly a month's worth of rain hit eastern New South Wales.
The government has declared a state of natural emergency across New South Wales after heavy rain forced the evacuation of around 300 homes in Sydney's northeast.
Sydney received 111 mm (4.4 inches) of rain in the 24 hours up to Friday morning, with the average rainfall for April at 121.5 mm, marking the region's seventh flood in the past 18 months.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a “major flood warning” for the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Colo Rivers in New South Wales after heavy amounts of water entered catchments after heavy rain.
In a post to
Nearly 200 rescues have been carried out since Friday, state minister for emergency services Jihad Dib told AFP, with some areas cut off by damaged roads and flooding.
About 5,000 volunteers worked through the night to help the victims, Dib said.
Authorities launched disaster relief efforts to cover cleaning costs and emergency accommodation for those stranded.
“The floods caused widespread damage across New South Wales in a very short period of time, and the Australian and New South Wales Governments have launched disaster relief and clean-up and recovery efforts,” said Federal Emergency Management Minister Catherine. King posted to X.
“The New South Wales Government continues to assess the damage and understand the impact of this disaster,” King said.
The Australian government has announced plans to assist those affected, with hundreds still under evacuation orders.
A recent study has found that an increase in the intensity of short periods of heavy rainfall in Sydney is likely linked to climate change. Scientists predict atmospheric humidity above Sydney could increase by the end of the century.
