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Thousands flee homes as floods hit Australia

A woman has died in Australia and thousands have been forced to flee their homes after torrential rainfall caused flooding in northern Queensland.

Authorities say waters will continue to rise and have warned of a “dangerous and life-threatening” situation, with parts of the region recording almost 1.3m (4.2ft) of rain since Saturday.

“Record” downpours are set to continue into Monday, according to Queensland’s Premier David Crisafulli.

Meteorologists say these could be the worst floods in the region in more than 60 years.

Crisafulli said conditions were unlike anything northern Queensland had experienced “for a long time”.

“It’s not just the intensity, but it’s also the longevity of it,” he told Australian broadcaster ABC.

The woman who died was onboard a State Emergency Service (SES) dinghy which hit a tree and capsized in the town of Ingham.

It is understood she was a member of the public who was being rescued at the time and was not an emergency worker. The other five people on board were able to get to safety. An investigation has been launched.

Meanwhile, three people were rescued from the roof of a house in Cardwell, about halfway between Cairns and Townsville.

Video has emerged showing a man clinging to a pole in Ingham after his vehicle was washed away – and being taken to safety by locals in a boat.

The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group says that 2,000 homes in the city may be inundated – some up to the second floor – as river levels rise.

Thousands of people across six Townsville suburbs were told to leave their homes by midday on Sunday, but officials say about 10% of residents had opted to stay.

The same areas were severely hit during 2019 flooding.

Premier Crisafulli urged people to heed the warnings, saying: “In the end, houses and cars and furniture, that can all be replaced. Your family can’t”.

On Sunday night local time a new evacuation centre was being opened – as others reached capacity.

Parts of the road on a major highway collapsed, hampering efforts to get rescue teams and sandbags to the worst-hit areas.

Meanwhile supermarkets had run out of fresh food, and thousands of homes were without power, including in Ingham and the Indigenous community of Palm Island.

And there is a warning for locals to watch for crocodiles lurking in floodwaters away from their usual habitats.

Sitting in the tropics, north Queensland is prone to destructive cyclones, storms and flooding.

But climate scientists say that warmer oceans and a hotter planet create the conditions for more intense and frequent extreme rainfall events.

For more information please visit: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4z2py8448o

Thousands flee homes as floods hit Australia

Neil Bibby

Neil Bibby

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