Strong storms – Australia: heavy floods claim more lives – news

• Three people have died as a result of the floods that swept through the state of News South Wales. Another victim has also been recovered in Queensland, where ten people have died so far.
• Hundreds of people in New South Wales state were still on their rooftops on Monday night (local time) waiting for help, and more than 50,000 homes were without power.
• The severe weather is caused by a slow-moving low pressure area – the weather service warns of “extreme” hail and “damaging” wind gusts.

In light of the tragic situation in many regions, the authorities expected more deaths. “Realistically, we know we may see more deaths in the coming days,” NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole said. “This is a catastrophic event.”

Lismore Mayor Steve Craig described the situation as “life threatening”. More than 15,000 people in the area have already been moved to safety from the floods. “We have never seen anything like this here,” the mayor was quoted by the Australian AAP news agency as saying.

The severe weather is driven by a low pressure region that is only slowly moving. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke of a “crisis situation” and wanted to consult with the country’s emergency authorities on how to proceed. He promised those affected with financial and logistical support. According to the media, desperate scenes appeared. Many Australians were shedding tears.

Forecasters expected more heavy rain with the possibility of flooding, especially in the area around Australia’s largest city, Sydney and in southeast Queensland. The Queensland Meteorological Service warned on Twitter of “large to massive hail” and “devastating winds”.

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Northeast Australia is affected by severe flooding, including the city of Brisbane.

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The water level rose very quickly, especially around the city of Lismore.

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More than 15,000 people in the Lismore region have already been moved to safety from the floods.

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised financial and logistical support to those affected.

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A view of Mariborough, where entire streets have turned into rivers.

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Australia has been particularly hard hit by climate change. In mid-January, large parts of Down Under were still sweating under the unforgiving bell of heat. In the west of the country, values ​​of over 50 degrees have been recorded in some cases.