It has been raining almost non-stop in Sydney for 16 days now. The rains cause flooding. Many people have to be evacuated.
Sydney – The extreme weather * in Australia does not stop. Heavy rainfall over several days caused catastrophic flooding on the east coast of the country. Many people lost everything in the flood. Numerous houses were completely destroyed. There were also fatalities in the states of Queensland and New South Wales. In the metropolis of Sydney, tens of thousands of people have again been asked to get to safety from the floods.
Floods in Sydney: tens of thousands of people evacuated – the death toll is rising
As the authorities announced on Tuesday (March 8), heavy rain has led to new flooding, especially in the south-west of Australia’s largest city *. Numerous streets in the suburb of Camden, for example, were under water, and many schools in the state of New South Wales remained closed. Evacuation orders had been issued for about a dozen suburbs. Around 40,000 people had to evacuate their homes across the Sydney area. Evacuation warnings were issued for 20,000 other residents.
Meanwhile, the death toll continued to rise. A 67-year-old woman and her 34-year-old son were found dead in floodwaters in western Sydney on Tuesday, Regional Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet said. According to the AAP news agency, 20 people have already died in Queensland and New South Wales since the extreme weather began at the end of February.
Historic flooding in Sydney: Meteorologists warn of flash floods
Meteorologists warned of flash floods due to “intense rainfall* and a very dangerous thunderstorm” specifically in Sydney and Hawkesbury and in the Blue Mountains. The wet weather is expected to continue, said Dean Narramore of the Bureau of Meteorology. “We have a tough 24 hours or even 48 hours ahead of us,” Australian media quoted the expert as saying. “And even if the rain stops on Wednesday and Thursday, the rivers are still flooding,” Narramore said.
It has been raining almost non-stop in Sydney for 16 days now. Meteorologists spoke of the wettest start of the year in the city since weather* records began in 1858. Since January 1, almost 822 millimeters of rain have fallen – that’s 822 liters per square meter. The record for the same period was 783 millimeters in 1956. For comparison: the average annual rainfall in Germany is 700 to 800 millimeters.
In Germany, meanwhile, Hoch “Martin” is making for spring weather*. The second week of March promises a lot of sunshine. (ph with dpa) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
Headline list image: © Dean Lewins
