SYDNEY EVACUATIONS DUE TO FLASH FLOODS

Australia’s east coast has been hit by torrential downpours this week. Sydney has received more than a month’s rain in one night.

This has led to emergency crews urging the city’s residents to avoid unnecessary travel and get ready for more potential evacuations.

During a media briefing, New South Wales emergency services Acting Commissioner Daniel Austin highlighted the seriousness of the situation.

“This is a highly dynamic situation. These events are moving exceptionally quickly. Exceptionally sharp, short bursts of rain have been creating flash flooding almost every hour.”

The Bureau of Meteorology said that Sydney has received 1,227 millimetres of rain so far this year. It’s more than the city’s annual rainfall of 1,1213 millimetres. The Bureau has warned that there’s more rain to come and that residents should be on high alert.

CNN reports that the country’s east coast summer has been dominated by the La Nina weather phenomenon, typically associated with increased rainfall, for the second straight year, with most rivers at capacity even before the latest drenching. Warragamba Dam, Sydney’s major water supply, is expected to spill over soon, authorities said.

March 2022 has been one for the books as Sydney marked it as its wettest March on record. Two devastating floods hit the country’s east coast in March due to torrential rain. With most towns and businesses still trying to recover from that, the latest downpours have hit them unexpectedly.

Image credit: Daily Sabah