SYDNEY, May 19 – Eight people have been rescued from floodwaters in the Australian state of New South Wales amid heavy rainfall.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on Monday morning issued a severe weather warning for parts of five NSW regions over 100 km north of Sydney.
It warned of heavy rainfall of up to 180 millimeters (mm) over the next 24 hours that could lead to flash flooding north of Sydney. The small town of Wyee, 80 km north of Sydney, received 120 mm of rain in the 24 hours to Monday morning.
The State Emergency Service (SES) said that it responded to 346 calls for assistance across NSW on Sunday, 272 of which were in the state’s north, and rescued eight people from vehicles that became stuck in floodwaters.
All eight incidents occurred in northern NSW, with one of the eight people taken to the hospital.
The BoM said that Sydney is expected to receive about 20 mm of rain on Monday, followed by up to 100 mm combined between Tuesday and Friday.
“The extended nature of this wet weather event really is significant because even though the daily rainfall totals aren’t super alarming, having that much rain three or four days in a row can lead to significant flood impacts, road closures and potential for some inundation of homes or properties or businesses around north-eastern NSW,” BoM senior meteorologist Angus Hines said in a statement.
A hazardous surf warning has been put in place for a 500-km stretch of the eastern state’s coastline, including Sydney, and people have been advised to “stay well away” from the surf and exposed areas.
XINHUA
