Record-breaking floods hit Queensland, Australia, sparking mass evacuations | World News

emergency services Australian Residents were evacuated to higher ground in Queensland on Saturday as record-breaking flooding from torrential rains hit the region’s northwest.

Fifty-three residents of the isolated Gulf country town of Burketown, about 2,115 kilometers (1,314 miles) northwest of the state capital Brisbane, have been evacuated since heavy rains triggered flooding earlier this week, police said on Saturday.

About 100 residents remained in the town, with police urging a general evacuation on Saturday, as the country’s weather forecasters predicted river levels in the region would peak on Sunday.

Sergeant Tom Amit told the ABC that “we are confident we can evacuate the rest if necessary”, adding that floodwaters were still rising in remote areas.

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emergencies follow australia frequent floods The east has been battered for the past two years by years of La Niña weather events, including the “once-in-a-century” floods that hit remote parts of the neighboring Northern Territory in January.

The Bureau of Meteorology previously said floodwaters in Burketown surpassed the previous record of 6.87 metres, set in March 2011, after 293 millimeters of rain fell on Thursday and Friday.

Police are coordinating a helicopter evacuation to the mining town of Mount Isa, about 425 kilometers (264 miles) to the south.

In the small town of Gregory, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Burketown, the impact of the flooding was unclear as reaching communities remained difficult, ABC reported.

Flood warnings were issued for large swaths of Queensland on Saturday, with warnings for severe storms, heavy rainfall and potential flash floods also issued for many areas, including the Gulf state.