Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate their homes due to flooding triggered by heavy rain in parts of Victoria state across Australia’s southeast.
The authorities revealed that the badly hit areas are the small towns of Seymour and Yea, about 70 miles north of Melbourne
They told residents and tourists to leave immediately as floodwaters rose to dangerous levels.
Forces managed to rescue 38 people from floods and almost 1,000 calls were made for help, according to Victoria State of Emergency Services.
Rainfall in the northeast of Victoria was expected to reach more than 200 millimeters (7.88 inches).
Authorities warned that flooding above the floor level of a single-story house was likely, and access to key roads would be difficult.
Melbourne has been spared the worst of the weather but has received a large amount of rainfall.
The states of South Australia and New South Wales are also bracing for storms as the country’s populous east coast continues to be hit by bad weather.
“If you live in a flood-prone area, please make the necessary plans. Especially people living in caravan parks and camping along creeks and other waterways,” Victoria emergency management commissioner Rick Nugent said.
“Falling tree branches and flash floods are the highest risk. Please don’t drive through flood waters.”
Last year, a woman was killed, and power outages affected over 100,000 homes during Christmas night in Northern Australia due to severe thunderstorms.
The Queensland Ambulance Service reported that a 59-year-old woman died after a tree fell on her in Gold Coast.
Meanwhile, the energy company Energex described the storm’s impact as “catastrophic,” causing extensive damage and power line falls in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, and Gold Coast, located 80 km south.
