Sydney floods: Tens of thousands told to evacuate | World News

Thousands of Sydney residents have been ordered to evacuate as relentless rain triggered the fourth flood in 18 months in the low-lying suburb.

Many areas received more than 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rain, with some areas seeing as much as 35 centimeters (14 inches) since Saturday.

A strong low pressure system is expected to bring more heavy rain to Australia’s east coast on Monday, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting another 10cm (4 inches) of rain.

“The latest information we have is that the flooding is likely to be worse than any of the other three floods that have occurred in these areas in the past 18 months,” Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt told the ABC.

Climate change is widely believed to be a factor in frequent severe weather events, the Climate Council said, adding that Australia was “underprepared”.

Western Sydney has spread to flood-prone land and development has been approved “despite the known flood risk”, said Dr Ian Wright, of Western Sydney University’s School of Science.

“Most of the floods affected vulnerable people. Many couldn’t afford flood insurance. People were exhausted. Many had not recovered from previous floods,” Dr Wright added.

About 30,000 NSW residents have been told to evacuate or warned they may receive an evacuation order since Sunday.

Frustrated residents in several suburbs west of Australia’s biggest city have spoken of their “unbelievable” after floods inundated homes, farms and bridges.

“It was devastating. We couldn’t believe it,” Camden Mayor Teresa Federley said.

“Most of them have just come out of the last flood, their homes have been restored and their businesses have been restored and unfortunately we say it’s happening again.”

Weather can trigger flash floods and landslides, with river catchments already nearing full capacity after a La Niña phenomenon, often associated with increased rainfall, hit Australia’s east coast for the past two years.

This naturally occurring phenomenon involves fluctuations in ocean temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, as well as changes in the atmosphere, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that some areas could approach or exceed the flooding levels seen in March 2021 and in March and April this year.

It said the risk of major flooding remained, although the severe weather system was likely to weaken later on Monday.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said at a televised media briefing: “It’s been a very difficult time to get this flooding event out of everyone’s backs for months. It makes it even more difficult. challenge.”

Paul O’Neill, a resident from flood-hit Wisemans Ferry, said he was on a boat to deliver food to stranded family members after rising water cut off access.

“The road collapsed, it hasn’t been fixed since the last flood, no one has moved. So now they have closed our road access
Then there are the ferries and now the only way to get home is by boat,” Mr O’Neill told Reuters.