The Australian metropolis Sydney has been hit by heavy rain for days - and according to meteorologists it will continue. This leads to severe flooding, people are trapped in their homes or cars. According to civil protection, the situation is "very dangerous".
The east coast of Australia is again hit by massive flooding after heavy rains. The situation in the greater Sydney area is particularly bad in places around the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers. Tens of thousands of people have to get to safety. Around 32,000 people in the state of New South Wales were asked to leave their homes or to prepare to flee, the civil protection said on Monday. The situation is "very dangerous".
The army sent a hundred soldiers to support the emergency services on site. Hundreds of residents requested help during the night, the local emergency services said. Citizens in many more areas have been urged to prepare to leave their homes.
Many people were trapped in their cars trying to cross the flooded streets or were unable to get out of their homes because of the flooding. According to their own statements, the rescue workers have brought more than 80 people to safety since Sunday evening.
Large amounts of water have been leaking from the Warragamba Dam, which supplies large parts of Sydney with drinking water, since Sunday. According to meteorologists, the heavy rains in New South Wales could last for at least 24 hours.
"I know it's the school holidays right now, but please reconsider your travel plans," emergency services spokesman Ashley Sullivan told ABC. "If you don't have to leave your home, then stay there if it's safe to do so."
The heavy rain around Sydney has been going on for days. The media quoted the weather services as saying that it had fallen four times as much rain as usual in the whole month of July. According to meteorologists, there is initially no improvement in sight.
In March, there were devastating floods in Sydney and large parts of New South Wales and Queensland. In just three months, the metropolis with the famous opera house, which is popular with tourists from all over the world, fell as much as usual in a whole year. Many regions are still suffering from the destruction of the historical floods and are now being hit by floods again.
Meanwhile, a cargo ship is stranded in heavy seas off the south coast of Sydney. The Hong Kong-registered "Portland Bay" had left Wollongong in the morning, but shortly afterwards experienced a complete power outage. A large-scale rescue operation was underway to prevent the ship from being pushed against the cliffs in high seas. Attempts to rescue the 21-person crew from the air had to be abandoned due to the adverse weather conditions. A tugboat was underway to pull the ship away from shore.
