The floods ravaging Australia have killed at least 12 people, according to a new report, and the rains were heading Wednesday March 2 towards Sydney where the authorities warned the population.
Read alsoAustralia: six dead in floods unprecedented for decades
For the past week, torrential rains have been falling on the east coast of the country.
The floodwaters swept away cars and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes whose balconies and roofs were completely submerged.
“
It's awful.
One life lost is (one life of) too many
,” said NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole after confirming a third death in the town of Lismore on Wednesday, bearing the total death toll at 12 in the country.
Heavy rainfall expected
“
Today the focus is on Sydney.
We are expecting heavy rainfall in the afternoon, overnight and (the day of) tomorrow
,” Paul Toole warned at a press conference on Wednesday.
After ravaging the state of Queensland, the storm moved south, dumping large amounts of water and triggering a series of flood warnings in New South Wales, including Sydney, the largest city. from Australia.
The city's main check dam has reached capacity and has begun to release water, Paul Toole said.
“
If there is a knock on your door, if you are asked to leave, please leave
,” he implored.
“
We don't want to see images where people are on the roof of their house
”, without leaving, “
and then be rescued
”.
In the NSW seaside town of Ballina, some 55 patients from the local hospital were evacuated overnight, hours before high sea tide combined with waters overflowing the banks of the Richmond River .
Read alsoFloods: tens of thousands of Australians evacuated
Australia has been hit hard by climate change: droughts, deadly bushfires, Great Barrier Reef bleaching events and floods are becoming more frequent and intense due to the evolution of the global climate.
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