Storm. Australia has declared a state of emergency due to flooding.

The Australian government has declared a state of emergency following flooding along the east coast. This means that those affected by the floods can be helped quickly and with less bureaucracy.

The move was announced by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a visit to the northern New South Wales city of Lismore on Wednesday, where destruction is particularly widespread. He also promised additional funding for flood-affected areas and especially for affected families.

Morrison told reporters that floods of this magnitude occur every 500 years. “There has never been a flood like this in this part of Australia in the memory of life. It’s an in-depth report.” Immediate action should be taken to prevent flooding in the area. After all, people need “hope for the future.”

Since late February, the slow-moving low pressure system has caused historic flooding in the states of Queensland and New South Wales. The city of Sydney, which has been raining continuously for nearly two and a half weeks, has also been affected.

Meteorologists have forecast the heaviest rainfall this year in Australia’s largest city since weather records began in 1858. Authorities issued evacuation orders and warnings to about a dozen suburbs on Tuesday as the river water level rose. About 60,000 people have been affected.

As a result of the flooding, the world-famous Sydney Harbor glowed blue with blue water. According to the region’s Ministry of Environment, “from Palm Beach to Cronulla” the sea beyond many of the city’s beaches was polluted and filled with floats. It is therefore advised in many places not to swim in the sea.

Australia has been particularly hard hit by climate change. From August 2019 to March 2020, catastrophic wildfires destroyed millions of hectares of land. A few weeks ago, Western Australia was still sweating under the constant heat dome. In some cases values ​​greater than 50 degrees were recorded.

dpa