Australia’s east coast continues to witness heavy rainfall on Sunday and water continues to cause destruction across the region. In Sydney’s northwest, many people had to flee their homes in the middle of the night to avoid the heavy downpour.

In New South Wales alone, flooding risk and evacuation warnings were put out for 12 areas.&nbsp;NSW is Australia’s most populous state with 8 million people.

Jonathan How from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology told ABC News that both rain and strong winds are causing the devastation. In addition, he said that heavy rainfall is expected to continue in Sydney for the rest of Sunday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/heavy-rain-forces-evacuations-flood-warnings-on-australias-east-coast-371839" hreflang="en">Heavy rain forces evacuations, flood warnings on Australia's east coast</a>

Many areas are expected to witness&nbsp; 7.9 metres (200 millimetres) of rain. According to emergency services, over 600 people had reached out to them seeking help. Out of these, 60 were about seeking rescue amid floods.

Videos circulating on social media depict the destruction caused by fast-moving water - which has moved homes, uprooted trees, and damaged roads.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/australian-bushfires-spewed-as-much-smoke-into-stratosphere-as-a-large-volcano-371678" hreflang="en">Australian bushfires spewed as much smoke into stratosphere as a large volcano</a>

Currently, Australia is attempting to inoculate its population against COVID-19. But the extreme weather has jolted country’s plans to move forward with vaccinations.

The country had planned to give the vaccine to 6 million people over the next few days. This is bound to be revised in view of the destruction.

"This will be a deep-seated, extreme weather event," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklia said on Saturday.

Australia’s east coast continues to witness heavy rainfall on Sunday and water continues to cause destruction across the region. In Sydney’s northwest, many people had to flee their homes in the middle of the night to avoid the heavy downpour.

Australia’s east coast continues to witness heavy rainfall on Sunday and water continues to cause destruction across the region. In Sydney’s northwest, many people had to flee their homes in the middle of the night to avoid the heavy downpour. In New South Wales alone, flooding risk and evacuation warnings were put out for 12 areas. NSW is Australia’s most populous state with 8 million people. Jonathan How from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology told ABC News that both rain and strong winds are causing the devastation. In addition, he said that heavy rainfall is expected to continue in Sydney for the rest of Sunday. Also read: Heavy rain forces evacuations, flood warnings on Australia's east coast Many areas are expected to witness 7.9 metres (200 millimetres) of rain. According to emergency services, over 600 people had reached out to them seeking help. Out of these, 60 were about seeking rescue amid floods. Videos circulating on social media depict the destruction caused by fast-moving water - which has moved homes, uprooted trees, and damaged roads. Also read: Australian bushfires spewed as much smoke into stratosphere as a large volcano Currently, Australia is attempting to inoculate its population against COVID-19. But the extreme weather has jolted country’s plans to move forward with vaccinations. The country had planned to give the vaccine to 6 million people over the next few days. This is bound to be revised in view of the destruction. "This will be a deep-seated, extreme weather event," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklia said on Saturday.

Heavy rainfall continues to batter Australia; parts of Sydney evacuated

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australian-bushfires-cooler-temperature-and-rainfall-ease-conditions-ahead-of-rough-night-273517">Firefighters </a>in&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;held a minute's silence on Friday for three <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/israel-pm-netanyahu-us-vice-president-pence-denounce-iran-at-holocaust-memorial-ceremony-276200">US</a>&nbsp;colleagues killed in a plane crash as investigators began scouring the accident site in remote bushland.

The premier of <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-bushfires-update-forecasters-fear-mega-blaze-along-new-south-wales-272658">New South Wales</a> (NSW) state, where the C-130 Hercules crashed while on a mission to dump retardant on a huge wildfire, ordered that flags on official buildings be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-bushfires-update-forecasters-fear-mega-blaze-along-new-south-wales-272658">Australia bushfires update: Forecasters fear 'mega blaze' along New South Wales</a>

"We will forever be indebted to the enormous contribution and indeed the ultimate sacrifice that's been paid as a result of these extraordinary individuals doing a remarkable job," NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said at a farewell near <a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/the-wiggles-singer-greg-page-suffers-cardiac-arrest-at-sydney-bushfire-relief-concert-275087">Sydney</a> airport for 32 U.S. firefighters who were returning home after weeks on duty on&nbsp;Australia.

Fitzsimmons and air safety officials said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the crash.

&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australia-bushfires-show-no-signs-of-abating-271385/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We simply don't know the circumstances pertaining to the accident at this stage," Fitzsimmons said. "Appropriate, formal investigations and inquiries are underway."

The three crew who died were Ian McBeth, 44, Paul Hudson, 42, and Rick DeMorgan Jr., 43, their employer, Canadian firm Coulson Aviation said in a statement. All three had previously worked for the <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/usmilitary-puts-china-russia-at-centre-of-new-national-defence-strategy-30113">US&nbsp;military</a>. Two were married and two left behind young children.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/usmilitary-puts-china-russia-at-centre-of-new-national-defence-strategy-30113">US&nbsp;military puts China, Russia at centre of new national defence strategy</a>

"We honor the amazing crews who do incredible things in dangerous circumstances supported by world-class operations," Coulson Aviation said in a statement.

The company had grounded its other air tankers in&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;immediately after the crash on Thursday but said they would be returning to work "in the very near future".

Also read: <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-bushfires-3-americans-killed-as-firefighting-plane-crashes-276159">Australia bushfires: 3 Americans killed as firefighting plane crashes</a>

Fitzsimmons earlier said field reports showed there had been a "pretty significant fireball associated with the plane crash", while a spokesman for&nbsp;Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority told Reuters the aircraft went into a valley to drop the retardant and did not emerge.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would provide a preliminary report in about 30 days, after analysing available recorded data, reviewing weather information and interviewing any witnesses.

The owner of the aircraft, <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/canadian-air-tanker-crashes-while-battling-australian-bushfires-kills-3-us-citizens-276072">Canadian</a> aerial firefighting company Coulson Aviation, was sending a team to help with the investigation. They are due to arrive in Sydney on Saturday morning, Fitzsimmons said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/canadian-air-tanker-crashes-while-battling-australian-bushfires-kills-3-us-citizens-276072">Canadian air tanker crashes while battling Australian bushfires; kills 3 US citizens</a>

A US&nbsp;National Transportation Safety Board official said the agency plans to have some involvement and will likely send an investigator or two to&nbsp;Australia.

There have been two previous crashes involving C-130 Hercules aircraft while fighting wildfires. In a 2002 accident in California, caught on video tape, the wings of the plane folded upward, breaking off the plane before the fuselage rolled and hit the ground upside down, killing all three crew. In 2012, another C-130 crashed in South Dakota, killing four of the six crew, in an accident that was later determined to be weather-related.

"Unfortunately, aircraft are one of the riskiest parts of wildland firefighting," said Eric Kennedy, a disaster and emergency management expert at York University in Toronto, Canada.

Kennedy said their many possible causes for Thursday's crash but noted that a well-known risk in the C-130 fleet was metal fatigue-induced wing failure.

"Reduced visibility, high turbulence, and low flying can all be contributing risk factors for air tanker crashes," Kennedy said in emailed comments.

Smoke&nbsp;haze returns

The plane crash on Thursday took the death toll for&nbsp;Australia's devastating bushfire season to 32, including eight firefighters. The wildfires have also killed millions of animals, razed thousands of homes and destroyed a land area about one-third the size of Germany since September.

Six local volunteer firefighters were injured later on Thursday when a water tanker vehicle rolled when they were battling a blaze in the south coast region of the state. Three were released from hospital on Thursday night, while the other three would be released on Friday, officials said.

While fire conditions eased in southeastern&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;on Friday, Sydney was choking on a new smoke haze, blown in by a baking hot wind from the fires burning in the south of the state. The harbourside city was also covered in a layer of terracotta-coloured soil brought in from the west by huge dust storms.

In New South Wales, firefighters were tackling 95 blazes, but they were all at the lowest warning levels. In Victoria state, one out of 60 fires was rated at the warning level of "watch and act", meaning there was no immediate danger.

Firefighters in Australia held a minute's silence on Friday for three US colleagues killed in a plane crash as investigators began scouring the accident site in remote bushland.

Firefighters in Australia held a minute's silence on Friday for three US colleagues killed in a plane crash as investigators began scouring the accident site in remote bushland. The premier of New South Wales (NSW) state, where the C-130 Hercules crashed while on a mission to dump retardant on a huge wildfire, ordered that flags on official buildings be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect. Also read: Australia bushfires update: Forecasters fear 'mega blaze' along New South Wales "We will forever be indebted to the enormous contribution and indeed the ultimate sacrifice that's been paid as a result of these extraordinary individuals doing a remarkable job," NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said at a farewell near Sydney airport for 32 U.S. firefighters who were returning home after weeks on duty on Australia. Fitzsimmons and air safety officials said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the crash. "We simply don't know the circumstances pertaining to the accident at this stage," Fitzsimmons said. "Appropriate, formal investigations and inquiries are underway." The three crew who died were Ian McBeth, 44, Paul Hudson, 42, and Rick DeMorgan Jr., 43, their employer, Canadian firm Coulson Aviation said in a statement. All three had previously worked for the US military. Two were married and two left behind young children. Also read: US military puts China, Russia at centre of new national defence strategy "We honor the amazing crews who do incredible things in dangerous circumstances supported by world-class operations," Coulson Aviation said in a statement. The company had grounded its other air tankers in Australia immediately after the crash on Thursday but said they would be returning to work "in the very near future". Also read: Australia bushfires: 3 Americans killed as firefighting plane crashes Fitzsimmons earlier said field reports showed there had been a "pretty significant fireball associated with the plane crash", while a spokesman for Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority told Reuters the aircraft went into a valley to drop the retardant and did not emerge. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it would provide a preliminary report in about 30 days, after analysing available recorded data, reviewing weather information and interviewing any witnesses. The owner of the aircraft, Canadian aerial firefighting company Coulson Aviation, was sending a team to help with the investigation. They are due to arrive in Sydney on Saturday morning, Fitzsimmons said. Also read: Canadian air tanker crashes while battling Australian bushfires; kills 3 US citizens A US National Transportation Safety Board official said the agency plans to have some involvement and will likely send an investigator or two to Australia. There have been two previous crashes involving C-130 Hercules aircraft while fighting wildfires. In a 2002 accident in California, caught on video tape, the wings of the plane folded upward, breaking off the plane before the fuselage rolled and hit the ground upside down, killing all three crew. In 2012, another C-130 crashed in South Dakota, killing four of the six crew, in an accident that was later determined to be weather-related. "Unfortunately, aircraft are one of the riskiest parts of wildland firefighting," said Eric Kennedy, a disaster and emergency management expert at York University in Toronto, Canada. Kennedy said their many possible causes for Thursday's crash but noted that a well-known risk in the C-130 fleet was metal fatigue-induced wing failure. "Reduced visibility, high turbulence, and low flying can all be contributing risk factors for air tanker crashes," Kennedy said in emailed comments. Smoke haze returns The plane crash on Thursday took the death toll for Australia's devastating bushfire season to 32, including eight firefighters. The wildfires have also killed millions of animals, razed thousands of homes and destroyed a land area about one-third the size of Germany since September. Six local volunteer firefighters were injured later on Thursday when a water tanker vehicle rolled when they were battling a blaze in the south coast region of the state. Three were released from hospital on Thursday night, while the other three would be released on Friday, officials said. While fire conditions eased in southeastern Australia on Friday, Sydney was choking on a new smoke haze, blown in by a baking hot wind from the fires burning in the south of the state. The harbourside city was also covered in a layer of terracotta-coloured soil brought in from the west by huge dust storms. In New South Wales, firefighters were tackling 95 blazes, but they were all at the lowest warning levels. In Victoria state, one out of 60 fires was rated at the warning level of "watch and act", meaning there was no immediate danger.

Australia mourns US firefighters as probe into plane crash begins

A mural of koala bear wearing headgear of a firefighter and holding the hose of a fire fighting steel pipe sprinkling water with a note of thanks has been painted by graffiti artists in Hosier Lane, Melbourne. 
 
They made this gesture to pay a tribute to the firefighters tackling Australia's biggest <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-bushfires-thousands-take-streets-to-call-for-climate-action-demands-pms-resgination-273496">wildfires</a> in decades. 
 
The group simultaneously worked and collected money in a donation box.

<img alt="Group of graffiti artists pay tribute to Australian firefighters" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ed74d9a3-5142-420d-a8e8-61b526acf75f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2837%29_1.jpg" /> 
[(Picture courtesy: @andrewgibbsonsart)]

They raised just over AUD$500.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-federer-and-williams-lead-way-to-raise-funds-for-relief-workers-in-australia-273899">Tennis: Federer, Williams lead way to raise funds for workers in Australia bushfires</a> 
 
The money that has been collected has been donated by the artists to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-prime-ministers-approval-rating-singed-by-bushfires-273895">World Wildlife Fund</a> (WWF) Australia. 
 
It was a token of respect and gratitude by the artists to the <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-bushfires-sydney-opera-house-lights-up-in-tribute-to-valiant-firefighters-273735">firefighters</a>.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-bushfires-sydney-opera-house-lights-up-in-tribute-to-valiant-firefighters-273735">Australia bushfires: Sydney Opera House lights up in tribute to valiant firefighters</a> 
 
The artists also wanted to convey the power of ''positive art''. 
 
The <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-bushfires-over-180-people-arrested-for-blaze-related-crimes-deliberately-starting-fire-272914">Australian bushfire</a> has scorched more than 11.2 million hectares&nbsp;of land, an area nearly half the size of the United Kingdom. 
 
Nearly half of the island's koala have died since the fires blazed.

A mural of koala bear wearing headgear of a firefighter and holding the hose of a fire fighting steel pipe sprinkling water with a note of thanks has been painted by graffiti artists in Hosier Lane, Melbourne.

A mural of koala bear wearing headgear of a firefighter and holding the hose of a fire fighting steel pipe sprinkling water with a note of thanks has been painted by graffiti artists in Hosier Lane, Melbourne. They made this gesture to pay a tribute to the firefighters tackling Australia's biggest wildfires in decades. The group simultaneously worked and collected money in a donation box. [(Picture courtesy: @andrewgibbsonsart)] They raised just over AUD$500. Also read: Tennis: Federer, Williams lead way to raise funds for workers in Australia bushfires The money that has been collected has been donated by the artists to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Australia. It was a token of respect and gratitude by the artists to the firefighters. Also read: Australia bushfires: Sydney Opera House lights up in tribute to valiant firefighters The artists also wanted to convey the power of ''positive art''. The Australian bushfire has scorched more than 11.2 million hectares of land, an area nearly half the size of the United Kingdom. Nearly half of the island's koala have died since the fires blazed.

Graffiti artists pay tribute to Australian firefighters

Local community members delivered hundreds of Christmas presents to volunteer firefighters and people who recently lost their homes to bushfires on December 24 in New South Wales. Volunteer firefighter Andrew Johnson was brought to tears when he received the gifts. On the other hand four generations of Britain's royal family were filmed getting into festive spirit on December 22 by preparing Christmas treats to support the Royal British Legion.Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George set up shop in the music room at Buckingham Palace to make a special Christmas pudding as part of the British Legion's "Together at Christmas" initiative. #AustraliaBushfires #Christmas #Queen #RoyalChristmas

Christmas presents for Australian firefighters, Royal baking session on Christmas