As more people leave their houses in Sydney, Australia’s floods get worse.
Tuesday’s heavy rainfall intensified Sydney’s flood disaster as hundreds more residents were forced to evacuate their homes as rivers swiftly climbed over danger thresholds.
Authorities reported that as of Tuesday, 50,000 people in New South Wales, the majority of whom reside in Sydney’s western suburbs, had either been ordered to evacuate or had been given a warning that they might do so.
As the coastal trough moves north, the last wild storm cell, which delivered heavy rainfall and caused some areas to get a year’s worth in three days, is set to lessen in Sydney starting on Tuesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).
However, because most river catchments were already close to capacity before the most recent rainfall, the risk of flooding may continue through the rest of the week. Since Saturday, some areas have had rain totals of 800mm (31.5 inches), exceeding Australia’s 500mm yearly average (20 inches).
The mid-north coast of the state could receive 90mm (3.5 inches) of rain over six hours starting on Tuesday, with some locations receiving up to 125mm (5 inches).
Rescue teams kept working in rough seas on Tuesday to tow a bulk carrier ship that lost power off the coast of Sydney after the tow lines broke, according to officials.
According to the weather bureau, Windsor in Sydney’s west is currently experiencing its third and most catastrophic flood of the year.