For the third time this year, floods in Australia’s largest city have prompted nearly 50,000 people to evacuate their homes. Parts of Sydney have received nearly eight months of rain in four days.
Roads have been cut; some houses are underwater, and thousands are left without electricity. Widespread flooding across Australia – driven by La Nia weather patterns – has killed more than 20 people this year, many in New South Wales (NSW).
More than 100 evacuation orders have been issued in Greater Sydney for the current emergency. In another 50 areas, people have been warned to be ready to leave, as several major rivers have been flooded. Nearby Hunter and Illawarra areas are also being hit by bad weather.
The Bureau of Meteorology says some areas of NSW have received 800 mm of rain in four days, about a third more than the average rainfall in Greater London in a year. Rain is expected to subside in Sydney from Tuesday, but gusty winds are also forecast, threatening to down trees and power lines.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Stephanie Cook said: “The emergency is not over.” Authorities are urging locals to heed evacuation warnings after rescuers were called to save people who were ordered to leave two days earlier.
“Ultimately, if you stay, you’re putting your life at risk,” said NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. For many locals, it is their third flood this year. Speaking after evacuating his partner from their home by kayak, Tyler Castle said that locals are tired of the constant threat to their homes and lives.
He moved into his home in the Sydney suburb of Windsor last year and was told that significant flood events would happen “one in 25 years, one in 50 years or whatever”.
Experts say that the flood emergency has been worsened by climate change and the phenomenon of La Nia weather. A La Nia develops when strong winds blow warm surface waters from the Pacific region away from South America and toward Indonesia. In their place, cold water comes to the surface.
In Australia, La Nia increases the likelihood of rain, cyclones and cooler daytime temperatures.
