The emergency response system in Australia has ordered the evacuation of 200,000 people as a result of a record-setting east coast floods that have claimed the lives of 13 people.
Severe Rain and Wind Warnings Issued in Australia
Due to the rise in water level, heavy rain and wind warnings were issued for a 400-kilometer (250-mile) stretch of the coast as well as suburbs in Sydney, according to Phys.org.
From Queensland to New South Wales, the unpredictability of the storm front has wreaked havoc as rivers and reservoirs burst their banks, flooding homes to the roofs.
According to Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino, a low-pressure system off the coast of Sydney dumped the heaviest rain in that area, sparing the city from a dreaded downpour.
According to him, Sydney avoided the biggest falls today, and that the storm will weaken by Friday, he told AFP.
Since the early hours of Wednesday, Sydney's Warragamba Dam, which supplies 80 percent of the city's water, has been leaking. Due to less rainfall in the dam's catchment areas, the projection for peak overflow was reduced by roughly half on Thursday.
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Major Floods to Hit Some Areas West of Sydney
Meteorologists in New South Wales said that major floods are still occurring in some regions west of Sydney along the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, which snake through the city's suburbs.
The Hawkesbury River rose above the local bridge, cutting off access to homes and farms in the historic town of Windsor, where many of Australia's oldest European buildings are still standing. An almost 120-year-old mansion remained alone on high land surrounded by floodwaters across the buried bridge.
"The river by its very nature is unpredictable," Caleo said.
Taronga Zoo, located near Sydney's historic harbour, braced for an inflow of injured wildlife due to excessive rain and flooding. As the floodwaters rose, the first concern was for the young animals, small animals, and birds that couldn't go.
A spokesman told AFP that heavy rains can cause birds' feathers to get so saturated that they are unable to fly. Concern for freshwater creatures, such as platypuses, will grow as the floodwaters recede.
Authorities in New South Wales said more than 70 evacuation orders are still in effect. Prim. Domeci Perriat of New South Wales had said earlier in the day that the state was under water and many people were waking up to see this.
Climate Change May be Worsening Australia's Floods
Scientists claim that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of Australia's flooding and droughts.
Expert Hilary Bambrick from the Queensland University of Technology said, Australia is at the forefront of severe climate change.
Australia temperatures are rising faster than the world average, which means that the atmosphere is holding more moisture, resulting in more intense rainfall events. At the height of the flooding calamity, New South Wales has seen its highest flood levels in decades.
At times, residents in towns like Lismore, in the north-eastern part of New South Wales, had to wait for hours on their rooftops to be evacuated from rising water. New South Wales announced that it would send an additional 400 employees to the affected area to assist residents on the "very, very long path" to recovery and cleanup.
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet stated: "Many people today in the Northern Rivers and over the last 24 hours have returned home, and they have returned home to devastating scenes. My message is we will be with you," according to The Straits Times.
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