Severe weather in Australia: Thousands forced to evacuate homes in Sydney

Four times the normal amount of rain fell in the Sydney region in July. Thousands of residents were asked to leave the city. Low-lying areas are under 1.50 meters of water. A dam overflowed.

Thousands of Sydney residents have been urged to evacuate the area due to heavy rain and severe storms. New South Wales Disaster Management Minister Steph Cook told a televised news conference that “we are now facing threats on multiple fronts – flash floods, river flooding and coastal erosion”.

He called on people to reconsider their holiday trips for the school holidays, which start now. “This is a life-threatening emergency.” More than 200 mm of rain fell in many areas and up to 350 mm in some places, the weather service said. Low-lying areas in south-west Sydney are a good five feet under water, photos show.

The dam overflowed

According to media reports, the Sydney region has already received four times the normal rainfall throughout July. Heavy rain also caused a dam in south-west Sydney to overflow overnight. “There’s no room for water in the stores. They’re overflowing. The rivers are very fast and very dangerous. Depending on where the rain falls, there’s a risk of flash flooding,” said state director Carlene York. Disaster management.

Meteorologist Jonathan How told the ABC that the Menangil River, about 70km south-west of Sydney, had already reached 16.5m.

Soldiers in action

In the last few days, 29 people have been rescued from the floods. The Australian government has provided 100 soldiers and two helicopters to help with any rescue operations, Defense Secretary Richard Marles told Sky News.

The rains are likely to intensify in the coming days.