Emergency services ordered some Sydney residents to prepare to flee Wednesday as heavy rainfall barrelled down&nbsp;Australia's east coast, burying towns in floodwater, killing 13 and putting hundreds of thousands at risk.

A week-long torrential downpour has swollen rivers and reservoirs past bursting point, causing chaos in an area 800 kilometres (500 miles) long.

From Brisbane to Sydney, more than 30 evacuation warnings are in place and several dams are overflowing, with some near Sydney under threat of bursting.

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&nbsp;

Terrified residents have sought refuge on higher ground, in make-shift evacuation centres, or by clambering into attics or onto rooftops praying for rescue by boat or helicopter.

In the hard-hit town of Lismore, Lucy Wise said the floods came much quicker and much higher than expected.

"The rain just wouldn't stop&nbsp;and the water was just coming up so fast" she told AFP.

She huddled at home as the waters rose through the night before grabbing her sleeping two-year-old son, cloaking him in a lifejacket and scrambling into the roof space of their house for safety.

"We were just lying there, silently, and the rain was just pouring down. I'd never heard such heavy rain in my life."

From outside neighbours watched as the house went under water.

"It was a few hours that I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. I was just taking it one breath at a time."

Wise and her family were eventually rescued by boat, but authorities say the floods have already claimed the lives of 13 others in Queensland and New South Wales.

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The focus has now shifted to Sydney,&nbsp;Australia's largest city and home to more than five million people.

The Warragamba Dam, which supplies 80 percent of the city's water, began to spill over in the early hours of Wednesday.

Several western suburbs are under major flood and evacuation warnings, and authorities have told residents across the city to stop all "non-essential travel."

"There are quite a few hundred thousand people affected by these warnings that we are putting out now," said State Emergency Services commissioner Carlene York.

A La Nina weather pattern has caused Sydney to experience its wettest summer in 30 years.&nbsp;

Meteorologist Ben Domensino of @Weatherzone described the current storm system as an "atmospheric river" featuring a "long area of airborne moisture that is going in one direction."

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&nbsp;

Scientists say climate change is making&nbsp;Australia's floods, bushfires, cyclones and droughts more frequent and more intense.

"Despite decades of warnings from scientists about climate change,&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;is unprepared for the supercharged weather that it is now driving, such as the current floods," said environmental expert Hilary Bambrick of the Queensland University of Technology.

"Australia&nbsp;is at the forefront of severe climate change. Temperatures are rising faster in&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;than the global average, and higher temperatures mean the atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning rainfall events are becoming more extreme."

Long road back

As the cleanup begins in northern areas which were hit first by the floods, many, like Mullumbimby resident Casey Whelan, predict a "long recovery" that could "take years."

Whelan fled his home as the flooding worsened, but as water levels stabilised he used a kayak that had floated by and a broomstick as an oar to return. He found it "just destroyed."

Water had risen up to the height of the kitchen bench, their furniture was submerged.

"Lots of people in my street can't get flood insurance. Some insurers will quote $30,000 (US$22,000) a year... they will just be ruined. They will have no way to rebuild," he said.

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Fifty-three year-old farmer James Clark said it would take weeks just to assess the damage.

"I lost tools, I lost equipment, I have got farm machinery that's underwater. I didn't get it high enough. I guessed how high the flood was going to come and got gear up, but didn't get it up enough," he said.

"After a flood it could take months before things get back to normal. It's weeks even before you can walk around without, without sort of things being too wet underfoot."

Emergency services ordered some Sydney residents to prepare to flee Wednesday as heavy rainfall barrelled down Australia's east coast, burying towns in floodwater, killing 13 and putting hundreds of thousands at risk.

Emergency services ordered some Sydney residents to prepare to flee Wednesday as heavy rainfall barrelled down Australia's east coast, burying towns in floodwater, killing 13 and putting hundreds of thousands at risk. A week-long torrential downpour has swollen rivers and reservoirs past bursting point, causing chaos in an area 800 kilometres (500 miles) long. From Brisbane to Sydney, more than 30 evacuation warnings are in place and several dams are overflowing, with some near Sydney under threat of bursting. Also read | Hundreds of thousands at risk as Australian floods spread - see some devasting pictures Terrified residents have sought refuge on higher ground, in make-shift evacuation centres, or by clambering into attics or onto rooftops praying for rescue by boat or helicopter. In the hard-hit town of Lismore, Lucy Wise said the floods came much quicker and much higher than expected. "The rain just wouldn't stop and the water was just coming up so fast" she told AFP. She huddled at home as the waters rose through the night before grabbing her sleeping two-year-old son, cloaking him in a lifejacket and scrambling into the roof space of their house for safety. "We were just lying there, silently, and the rain was just pouring down. I'd never heard such heavy rain in my life." From outside neighbours watched as the house went under water. "It was a few hours that I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. I was just taking it one breath at a time." Wise and her family were eventually rescued by boat, but authorities say the floods have already claimed the lives of 13 others in Queensland and New South Wales. Also read | Australian PM tests positive for Covid, isolates The focus has now shifted to Sydney, Australia's largest city and home to more than five million people. The Warragamba Dam, which supplies 80 percent of the city's water, began to spill over in the early hours of Wednesday. Several western suburbs are under major flood and evacuation warnings, and authorities have told residents across the city to stop all "non-essential travel." "There are quite a few hundred thousand people affected by these warnings that we are putting out now," said State Emergency Services commissioner Carlene York. A La Nina weather pattern has caused Sydney to experience its wettest summer in 30 years. Meteorologist Ben Domensino of @Weatherzone described the current storm system as an "atmospheric river" featuring a "long area of airborne moisture that is going in one direction." Also read | How climate change will impact the world's regions differently Scientists say climate change is making Australia's floods, bushfires, cyclones and droughts more frequent and more intense. "Despite decades of warnings from scientists about climate change, Australia is unprepared for the supercharged weather that it is now driving, such as the current floods," said environmental expert Hilary Bambrick of the Queensland University of Technology. "Australia is at the forefront of severe climate change. Temperatures are rising faster in Australia than the global average, and higher temperatures mean the atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning rainfall events are becoming more extreme." Long road back As the cleanup begins in northern areas which were hit first by the floods, many, like Mullumbimby resident Casey Whelan, predict a "long recovery" that could "take years." Whelan fled his home as the flooding worsened, but as water levels stabilised he used a kayak that had floated by and a broomstick as an oar to return. He found it "just destroyed." Water had risen up to the height of the kitchen bench, their furniture was submerged. "Lots of people in my street can't get flood insurance. Some insurers will quote $30,000 (US$22,000) a year... they will just be ruined. They will have no way to rebuild," he said. Watch | Bolstering Ukraine's defence amid Russian attack: Australia to provide 'lethal aid' to Ukraine Fifty-three year-old farmer James Clark said it would take weeks just to assess the damage. "I lost tools, I lost equipment, I have got farm machinery that's underwater. I didn't get it high enough. I guessed how high the flood was going to come and got gear up, but didn't get it up enough," he said. "After a flood it could take months before things get back to normal. It's weeks even before you can walk around without, without sort of things being too wet underfoot."

Emergency services order residents to prepare to flee as floods threaten hundreds of thousands in Sydney

Heavy rains lashed Australia's east coast on Monday (February 28). As a result tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate. The floods submerged towns and many residents were stranded on rooftops. Authorities warned of life-threatening flash floods.

Nine people have been killed since the deluge began last Thursday, and rescue teams were searching on Monday for at least four people reported missing.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who called the unprecedented rains a "weather bomb", said defence personnel would be deployed to flood-hit areas to lead both rescue and recovery operations.

As per Australia's weather bureau, flash floods remained great risk in New South Wales.

"What we are seeing today is unprecedented and the advice that we have received is we would expect things to get worse," NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet told a televised briefing.

The Brisbane River in the Queensland capital peaked on Monday morning, flooding several streets in Australia's third largest city. Social media posts showed indundated houses and debris, including bins, boats and cars, floating down roads.

In the northern NSW city of Lismore, the entire CBD was underwater and the Bureau of Meteorology warned the city's Wilsons River could reach around 14.2 metres on Monday afternoon, surpassing the last peak back in 1954.

"I have been fielding calls from very distressed residents who are sitting on rooftops trying to get help. It's diabolical," Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told broadcaster ABC.

Krieg said the sheer speed of rising waters caught people by surprise as he urged the town's near 30,000 residents to leave their homes immediately.

Lismore resident Kara Ahearn said she, her partner and three children were rescued by a kayaker from their roof, to where they had fled when their house was inundated within two hours.

"Very intense morning ... very shaken" she told ABC. "We had to leave our pets behind ... we didn't even have time to put our shoes on."

(With inputs from agencies)

Heavy rains lashed Australia's east coast on Monday (February 28). As a result tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate. The floods submerged towns and many residents were stranded on rooftops.

Heavy rains lashed Australia's east coast on Monday (February 28). As a result tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate. The floods submerged towns and many residents were stranded on rooftops. Authorities warned of life-threatening flash floods. Nine people have been killed since the deluge began last Thursday, and rescue teams were searching on Monday for at least four people reported missing. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who called the unprecedented rains a "weather bomb", said defence personnel would be deployed to flood-hit areas to lead both rescue and recovery operations. As per Australia's weather bureau, flash floods remained great risk in New South Wales. "What we are seeing today is unprecedented and the advice that we have received is we would expect things to get worse," NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet told a televised briefing. The Brisbane River in the Queensland capital peaked on Monday morning, flooding several streets in Australia's third largest city. Social media posts showed indundated houses and debris, including bins, boats and cars, floating down roads. In the northern NSW city of Lismore, the entire CBD was underwater and the Bureau of Meteorology warned the city's Wilsons River could reach around 14.2 metres on Monday afternoon, surpassing the last peak back in 1954. "I have been fielding calls from very distressed residents who are sitting on rooftops trying to get help. It's diabolical," Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told broadcaster ABC. Krieg said the sheer speed of rising waters caught people by surprise as he urged the town's near 30,000 residents to leave their homes immediately. Lismore resident Kara Ahearn said she, her partner and three children were rescued by a kayaker from their roof, to where they had fled when their house was inundated within two hours. "Very intense morning ... very shaken" she told ABC. "We had to leave our pets behind ... we didn't even have time to put our shoes on." (With inputs from agencies)

'Weather bomb' lashes Australian east coast, flash floods predicted

A severe storm system pummelled&nbsp;Australia's&nbsp;northeastern city of Brisbane on Sunday, causing evacuations, power outages and school closures as the death toll climbed to&nbsp;seven&nbsp;from accompanying flash&nbsp;floods.

More than 1,400 homes in the capital of Queensland state were at risk of flooding while more than 28,000 homes were without power statewide, as pristine beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, which are key tourist attractions, all closed.

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"We never expected this rain," state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told a briefing. "This rain bomb is just really, you know, it's unrelenting ... It's just coming down in buckets."

More than 100 schools across the southeast of a state famed for abundant sunshine will be closed on Monday. State rescue services said they received 100 requests an hour for help in recent days.

Among the six killed in the flooding were a 34-year-old man who tried to swim to safety after the waters submerged his car and another whose vehicle was swept away in the most populous state of New South Wales (NSW).

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About 700 people were asked to evacuate from the city of Gympie on Saturday after the Mary River system surged beyond 22.06 m (72.4 ft) for the town's worst flood since the 1880s.

Meteorologists said the deluge and thunderstorms would continue through Monday, before starting to ease off in Queensland, but moving south to New South Wales, where some communities at risk in its&nbsp;northeast&nbsp;have been told to evacuate.

The risk of riverine and flash flooding was "very real over coming days," said Steph Cooke, the state's emergency services minister.

A severe storm system pummelled Australia's northeastern city of Brisbane on Sunday, causing evacuations, power outages and school closures as the death toll climbed to seven from accompanying flash floods.

A severe storm system pummelled Australia's northeastern city of Brisbane on Sunday, causing evacuations, power outages and school closures as the death toll climbed to seven from accompanying flash floods. More than 1,400 homes in the capital of Queensland state were at risk of flooding while more than 28,000 homes were without power statewide, as pristine beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, which are key tourist attractions, all closed. Also read | Deadly rains, floods hit eastern Australia "We never expected this rain," state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told a briefing. "This rain bomb is just really, you know, it's unrelenting ... It's just coming down in buckets." More than 100 schools across the southeast of a state famed for abundant sunshine will be closed on Monday. State rescue services said they received 100 requests an hour for help in recent days. Among the six killed in the flooding were a 34-year-old man who tried to swim to safety after the waters submerged his car and another whose vehicle was swept away in the most populous state of New South Wales (NSW). Also read | France removes Australia as 'strategic partner' in a new Indo-Pacific strategy About 700 people were asked to evacuate from the city of Gympie on Saturday after the Mary River system surged beyond 22.06 m (72.4 ft) for the town's worst flood since the 1880s. Meteorologists said the deluge and thunderstorms would continue through Monday, before starting to ease off in Queensland, but moving south to New South Wales, where some communities at risk in its northeast have been told to evacuate. The risk of riverine and flash flooding was "very real over coming days," said Steph Cooke, the state's emergency services minister.

'Rain bomb' hits Australia's northeast, killing seven in floods

Torrential downpours lashed&nbsp;eastern&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;on Saturday, raising&nbsp;deadly&nbsp;floodwaters to decades-long highs, swamping homes and sweeping away cars.

Police in the&nbsp;eastern&nbsp;state of Queensland said they had found the body of a 37-year-old man, raising the flooding death toll to five people since early this week. At least one person is still missing.

Images of southeast Queensland broadcast on Australian media showed&nbsp;homes and roads flooded, areas of land transformed into lakes and a large chunk of a concrete pier floating down the fast-running Brisbane River.

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The water snatched the car of a team of four emergency services workers who were heading to rescue a family from their flooded home overnight, said state police disaster coordinator Steve Gollschewski.

"The vehicle in which they were travelling was swept off the road into floodwaters. Three of our members were rescued. One of those members is deceased," Gollschewski told a news conference.

Elsewhere, another man's body was found overnight.&nbsp;

"In some parts of southeast Queensland, this is the biggest event that they will see in a number of decades," said state police and emergency services minister Mark Ryan.

"And the rain has not stopped -- in fact, there are some parts where it is intensifying."

The Queensland town of Gympie was facing a "hell of a lot of water" as the Mary River rose, Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig was quoted as saying by national broadcaster ABC.

In the town's Royal Hotel, "without a submarine or a snorkel, you will not be having a beer," Hartwig said.&nbsp;

"It's floor-to-ceiling and over the roof in some areas."

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Dangerous

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Mary River could rise above 21 metres (69 feet) at Gympie. It may exceed levels last seen there in February 1999, the bureau of meteorology said.

As a precaution, Queensland would be issuing evacuation alerts, notably targeting about 700 residents in the Gympie area, the premier said.

"If we don't do this now people will become isolated and trapped," she warned.

The premier said her "heart goes out" to the volunteer emergency services worker, 62-year-old Merryl Dray, who died "trying to save her community".

Emergency services had responded to more than 1,800 calls for help in 24 hours in southeast Queensland, officials said.&nbsp;

Rainfall in some areas of the state had exceeded records going back decades, said senior Queensland meteorologist David Grant.

He predicted further rain on Sunday as the weather system moved away more slowly than had been anticipated.

"There is now going to be an increased risk of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, and even the potential for localised landslides," he told a news conference.

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Heavy rain also&nbsp;hit&nbsp;the state capital Brisbane.

"Essentially we've seen a month's worth of rainfall fall in one day for just Brisbane alone," Grant said.

Rescuers undertook 132 rescues in swift water conditions in 24 hours, said Greg Leach, Queensland's commissioner for fire and emergency services.

"Our catchments are completely saturated. Our rivers are rising. We have flash flooding. Now is not the time to be out in southeast Queensland if you don't have to be," Leach said.

Torrential downpours lashed eastern Australia on Saturday, raising deadly floodwaters to decades-long highs, swamping homes and sweeping away cars. Police in the eastern state of Queensland said they had found the body of a 37-year-old man, raising the flooding death toll to five people since early this week.

Torrential downpours lashed eastern Australia on Saturday, raising deadly floodwaters to decades-long highs, swamping homes and sweeping away cars. Police in the eastern state of Queensland said they had found the body of a 37-year-old man, raising the flooding death toll to five people since early this week. At least one person is still missing. Images of southeast Queensland broadcast on Australian media showed homes and roads flooded, areas of land transformed into lakes and a large chunk of a concrete pier floating down the fast-running Brisbane River. Also read | France removes Australia as 'strategic partner' in a new Indo-Pacific strategy The water snatched the car of a team of four emergency services workers who were heading to rescue a family from their flooded home overnight, said state police disaster coordinator Steve Gollschewski. "The vehicle in which they were travelling was swept off the road into floodwaters. Three of our members were rescued. One of those members is deceased," Gollschewski told a news conference. Elsewhere, another man's body was found overnight. "In some parts of southeast Queensland, this is the biggest event that they will see in a number of decades," said state police and emergency services minister Mark Ryan. "And the rain has not stopped -- in fact, there are some parts where it is intensifying." The Queensland town of Gympie was facing a "hell of a lot of water" as the Mary River rose, Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig was quoted as saying by national broadcaster ABC. In the town's Royal Hotel, "without a submarine or a snorkel, you will not be having a beer," Hartwig said. "It's floor-to-ceiling and over the roof in some areas." Also read | After months of COVID-19 closure, Australia fully reopens borders to international visitors Dangerous Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Mary River could rise above 21 metres (69 feet) at Gympie. It may exceed levels last seen there in February 1999, the bureau of meteorology said. As a precaution, Queensland would be issuing evacuation alerts, notably targeting about 700 residents in the Gympie area, the premier said. "If we don't do this now people will become isolated and trapped," she warned. The premier said her "heart goes out" to the volunteer emergency services worker, 62-year-old Merryl Dray, who died "trying to save her community". Emergency services had responded to more than 1,800 calls for help in 24 hours in southeast Queensland, officials said. Rainfall in some areas of the state had exceeded records going back decades, said senior Queensland meteorologist David Grant. He predicted further rain on Sunday as the weather system moved away more slowly than had been anticipated. "There is now going to be an increased risk of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, and even the potential for localised landslides," he told a news conference. Watch | Gravitas: Has China infiltrated the Australian parliament? Heavy rain also hit the state capital Brisbane. "Essentially we've seen a month's worth of rainfall fall in one day for just Brisbane alone," Grant said. Rescuers undertook 132 rescues in swift water conditions in 24 hours, said Greg Leach, Queensland's commissioner for fire and emergency services. "Our catchments are completely saturated. Our rivers are rising. We have flash flooding. Now is not the time to be out in southeast Queensland if you don't have to be," Leach said.

Deadly rains, floods hit eastern Australia

Heavy torrential rains have left streets of Queensland completely inundated. Parts of eastern Australia reported flash floods and set off a string of emergency warnings up and down the pacific coast.

Heavy rains have left streets of Queensland completely inundated, 1 dead, 10 missing

Mudslides and floods have killed over 160 people in Brazil's Petropolis. This comes as the region is reeling from its heaviest rainfall in almost a century. WION tells you more.

Over 160 killed in Brazil floods, Bolsonaro promises federal assistance

At least 100 people have lost their lives due to heavy floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Brazil. Hundreds of cars and houses have been destroyed by the mudslides and several shops have been inundated by the rising water levels.

Severe floods wreak havoc in Brazil as death toll tops 100

At least 94 people have lost their lives due to heavy floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Brazil. Hundreds of cars and houses have been destroyed by the mudslides and several shops have been inundated by the rising water levels.

Floods, landslides kill 94 in Brazil

At least 23 people have lost their lives due to heavy floods and landslides triggered by torrential rainfall in Brazil. Hundreds of cars and houses have been destroyed by the mudslides and several shops have been inundated by the rising water levels.

At least 23 dead as torrential rains wreak havoc in Brazil

Torrential rains have caused flooding and rains in the country's most populous state of Sao Paulo killing at least 19 people, 11 of the victims died on Sunday after landslides buried several homes and cities in the interior of the state.

Brazil: Heavy rains kill 19 in Sao Paulo, governor announces emergency aid

Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have battered Madagascar's capital resulting in deaths of at least about 10 people and rendering almost about 12000 people homeless.

Flash floods leave 10 dead, 12000 homeless in Madagascar

Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have battered Madagascar's capital resulting in deaths of at least about 10 people and rendering almost about 500 people homeless.

10 casualties with over 500 people displaced due to flash floods in Madagascar

Floods have displaced thousands of people in the Minas Gerais region in Brazil. Heavy rains have pounded the mining region of Minas Gerais state in southern southeastern Brazil.

Floods devastate the indigenous community in the mining region of Minas Gerais state in Brazil

In the aftermath of the devastating storms in the United States, several parts of the country are struggling to get back on feet. The state of Washington saw its worst flooding in a decade with rivers overflowing at more than 18 feet, this has resulted in flooded streets.

United States: Washington witnessed worst flooding in a decade

After heavy snowfall pounded US North East on Friday, catastrophic flooding has now hit parts of Western US. Flood alerts are in place across many coastal regions in the Pacific winter storm warnings have also remained intact for much of the Eastern parts.

After heavy snowfall catastrophic floods hit parts of Western United States

In Iran, flash floods have left at least eight people dead and 14 injured in the southern region of the country, according to the officials, the deluge is expected to last until later this week. The spokesman for the national rescue service has said that the floods and the rainfall reported in the past few days led to an increase in casualties and deaths.

Flash floods hit Iran's southern region, relief operations underway in 87 Iranian cities

In Indonesia, heavy flooding on Sumatra island has left two children dead. Some 24000 people have been forced to flee their homes. Torrential rainfall hammered the island for days.

Indonesia: Heavy flooding on Sumatra Island, about 24000 people have been forced to flee their homes

Rescue brigades in Bolivia have used boats to save livestock and animals amid floods following heavy rainfall, which has already claimed the lives of 15 people.

Rescue brigades in Bolivia save livestock & animals from flash floods caused by torrential rains

Several parts of the world have been rocked by floods, heavy snowfall and extremely low temperatures here's a quick round up of the prevailing weather conditions in various parts.

Floods, snowfall, low temperatures- Here's a quick round up of the prevailing weather conditions

After weeks of heavy rains, two dams collapsed in northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, authorities said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The development comes as the rains had already swollen local rivers. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Located on the Verruga river near Vitoria da Conquista city in southern Bahia, the Igua dam gave way on Saturday night. It led to evacuation of numerous residents by authorities in the town of Itambe. &nbsp;

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Another dam burst due to the immense rise in water levels in Jussiape, which is 100 kilometers to the north, on Sunday morning. It forced authorities to issue more alerts for the residents to reach safer grounds. &nbsp;

The incident has caused flooding in towns across the region. &nbsp;

Although roads and bridges were damaged, there were no reports of deaths or injuries. &nbsp;

"It’s crazy by the bridge, there are waves almost two meters high," a shopkeeper Luiz Constancia told Reuters. &nbsp;

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Towards the coast in Itabuna, residents, who were trapped in flooded homes in the downtown area, were rescued by fire brigade teams, Reuters reporters said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Not just this, the rescuers also rowed dinghies along the flooded streets to reach trapped people. &nbsp;

Mayor Sheila Lemos said all residents, who were close to the collapsed Igua dam in Vitoria da Conquista, had been evacuated. &nbsp;

Bahia Governor Rui Castro said around 400,000 people have been impacted by the heavy rains. Thousands have also been evacuated from around 67 towns. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

After weeks of heavy rains, two dams collapsed in northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, authorities said on Sunday. The development comes as the rains had already swollen local rivers.

After weeks of heavy rains, two dams collapsed in northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, authorities said on Sunday. The development comes as the rains had already swollen local rivers. Located on the Verruga river near Vitoria da Conquista city in southern Bahia, the Igua dam gave way on Saturday night. It led to evacuation of numerous residents by authorities in the town of Itambe. Also Read: Greece's southern islands witness two strong tremors Another dam burst due to the immense rise in water levels in Jussiape, which is 100 kilometers to the north, on Sunday morning. It forced authorities to issue more alerts for the residents to reach safer grounds. The incident has caused flooding in towns across the region. Although roads and bridges were damaged, there were no reports of deaths or injuries. "It’s crazy by the bridge, there are waves almost two meters high," a shopkeeper Luiz Constancia told Reuters. Also Read: At least 16 migrants dead in Greece after their boat capsizes Towards the coast in Itabuna, residents, who were trapped in flooded homes in the downtown area, were rescued by fire brigade teams, Reuters reporters said. Not just this, the rescuers also rowed dinghies along the flooded streets to reach trapped people. Mayor Sheila Lemos said all residents, who were close to the collapsed Igua dam in Vitoria da Conquista, had been evacuated. Bahia Governor Rui Castro said around 400,000 people have been impacted by the heavy rains. Thousands have also been evacuated from around 67 towns. (With inputs from agencies)

Rain-induced floods trigger failure of two dams in northeastern Brazil

Malaysia is facing one of its worst floods in years, over 7,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Malaysia on Sunday; the death toll has now risen to 27.

Malaysia is hit by one of the worst floods, death toll rises to 27

Malaysia is facing one of its worst flooding in years, more than 30,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Malaysia on Sunday.

Malaysia faces worst flooding in years

Flood impacts 8 states in Malaysia, at least 30,000 evacuated

Brazil’s government has declared a state of emergency in almost 50 cities due to heavy rains that caused floods and killed at least three people.

Brazil government declares a state of emergency in almost 50 cities due to heavy rains

Two years ago, the fields outside Christina Southwell’s family home near the cotton capital of Australia looked like a dusty, brown desert as drought-fueled wildfires burned to the north and south.

Last week, after record-breaking rains, muddy floodwaters surrounded her, along with the stench of rotting crops. She had been trapped for days with just her cat and still didn’t know when the sludge would recede.

“It seems to take for bloody ever to go away,” she said, watching a boat carry food into the town of Wee Waa. “All it leaves behind is this stink, and it’s just going to get worse.”

Life on the land has always been hard in Australia, but the past few years have delivered one extreme after another, demanding new levels of resilience and pointing to the rising costs of a warming planet. For many Australians, moderate weather — a pleasant summer, a year without a state of emergency — increasingly feels like a luxury.

The Black Summer bush fires of 2019 and 2020 were the worst in Australia’s recorded history. This year, many of the same areas that suffered through those epic blazes endured the wettest, coldest November since at least 1900. Hundreds of people, across several states, have been forced to evacuate. Many more, like Southwell, are stranded on flood plain islands with no way to leave except by boat or helicopter, possibly until after Christmas.

And with a second year of the weather phenomenon known as La Nina in full swing, meteorologists are predicting even more flooding for Australia’s east coast, adding to the stress from the pandemic, not to mention from a recent rural mouse plague of biblical proportions.

“It feels constant,” said Brett Dickinson, 58, a wheat farmer who lives not far from Southwell in northwest New South Wales, about a six-hour drive from Sydney. “We’re constantly battling all the elements — and the animals too.”

There’s a tendency to think of such extremes as “natural disasters” or “acts of God” that come and go with news reports. But Australia’s nightmares of nature ebb and flow. Its droughts and floods, although weather opposites, are driven by the same forces — some of them timeless, others newer and caused by humans.

Andy Pitman, director of the ARC Center of Excellence for Climate Extremes at the University of New South Wales, said the ups and downs of weather had been severe for millenniums on the Australian landmass, which is as large as the continental United States and surrounded by powerful climate-driving oceans, from the tropical South Pacific to the colder Southern Ocean off Antarctica.

As a consequence, the El Nino and La Nina patterns tend to hit Australia harder than they do other places, with harsh droughts that end with major floods. Some scientists even suggest that the way that marsupials reproduce, with the ability to put active pregnancies on pause, shows that the El Nino-La Nina cycle has been around long enough for flora and fauna to adapt.

On top of that already intense variability, Pitman said, are now two additional complicating factors: “climate change and human decisions around building things.”

Both make fires and floods more damaging.

“A small change in climate coupled with a small change in landscapes can have a large impact on flood characteristics,” Pitman said.

The results are already visible in government budgets. The cost of climate disasters in Australia has more than doubled since the 1970s.

Ron Campbell, the mayor of Narrabri Shire, which includes Wee Waa, said his area was still waiting for government payments to offset damage from past catastrophes. He wondered when governments would stop paying for infrastructure repairs after every emergency.

“The costs are just enormous, not just here but at all the other places in similar circumstances,” he said.

More viscerally, the effect of a “supercharged climate” is drawn on the land itself. Across the vast tracts of farmland and small towns between Melbourne and Sydney where much of the country’s food, cattle, wine — and coal — are produced, the effects of fire, drought and flood coexist.

Even in areas that did not burst into flames, the heat waves and lack of rainfall that preceded the bush fires killed as much as 60% of the trees in some places. Cattle farmers culled so much of their herds during the drought that beef prices have risen more than 50% as they rush to restock paddocks nourished (nearly to death) by heavy rain.

Bryce Guest, a helicopter pilot in Narrabri, once watched the dust bowls grow from above. Then came “just a monstrous amount of rain,” he said, and a new kind of job: flights to mechanical pumps pushing water from fields to irrigation dams in a last-ditch effort to preserve crops that had been heading for a record harvest.

On one recent flight, he pointed to mountains of stored grain — worth six figures, at least — that were ruined by the rains, with heavy equipment trapped and rusting next to it. Farther inland, a home surrounded by levees had become a small island accessible only by boat or copter.

“Australia is all about water; everything revolves around it,” he said. “Where you put your home, your stock. Everything.”

The flood plains in what is known as the Murray-Darling basin stretch out for hundreds of miles, not unlike the land at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The territory is so flat that towns can be cut off with roads flooded by less than an inch of additional rain.

That happened a few weeks ago in Bedgerabong, a few hundred miles south of Narrabri. On a recent afternoon, a couple of teachers were being driven out of town in a hulking firetruck — equipment for one disaster often serves another. Across a flooded road behind them, three other teachers had decided to camp out so they could provide some consistency for children who had already been kept out of school for months by pandemic lockdowns.

Paul Faulkner, 55, principal of the school (total enrollment: 42), said that many parents craved social connection for their children. The Red Cross has sent in booklets for those struggling with stress and anxiety.

“COVID has kept everyone from their families,” he said. “This just isolates them even more.”

He admitted that there were a few things they did not discuss; Santa, for one. The town is expected to be cut off until after the holidays as the waters that rose with surging rains over a few days take weeks to drain and fade.

In Wee Waa, where the water has started to recede, supplies and people flowed in and out last week by helicopter and in a small boat piloted by volunteers.

Still, there were shortages everywhere — mostly of people. In a community of around 2,000 people, half of the teachers at the local public school couldn’t make it to work.

At the town’s only pharmacy, Tien On, the owner, struggled with a short-handed staff to keep up with requests. He was especially concerned about delayed drug deliveries by helicopter for patients with mental health medications.

Southwell, 69, was better prepared than most. She spent 25 years volunteering with emergency services and has been teaching first aid for decades. After a quick trip into Wee Waa by boat, she returned to her home with groceries and patience, checking a shed for the stray cats she feeds and discovering that only one of her chickens appeared to have drowned.

She said she wasn’t sure how much climate change could be blamed for the floods; her father had put their house on higher stilts because they knew the waters would rise on occasion.

All she knew was that more extreme weather and severe challenges to the community would be coming their way.

“The worst part of it is the waiting,” she said. “And the cleanup.”

Two years ago, the fields outside Christina Southwell’s family home near the cotton capital of Australia looked like a dusty, brown desert as drought-fueled wildfires burned to the north and south.

Two years ago, the fields outside Christina Southwell’s family home near the cotton capital of Australia looked like a dusty, brown desert as drought-fueled wildfires burned to the north and south. Last week, after record-breaking rains, muddy floodwaters surrounded her, along with the stench of rotting crops. She had been trapped for days with just her cat and still didn’t know when the sludge would recede. “It seems to take for bloody ever to go away,” she said, watching a boat carry food into the town of Wee Waa. “All it leaves behind is this stink, and it’s just going to get worse.” Life on the land has always been hard in Australia, but the past few years have delivered one extreme after another, demanding new levels of resilience and pointing to the rising costs of a warming planet. For many Australians, moderate weather — a pleasant summer, a year without a state of emergency — increasingly feels like a luxury. The Black Summer bush fires of 2019 and 2020 were the worst in Australia’s recorded history. This year, many of the same areas that suffered through those epic blazes endured the wettest, coldest November since at least 1900. Hundreds of people, across several states, have been forced to evacuate. Many more, like Southwell, are stranded on flood plain islands with no way to leave except by boat or helicopter, possibly until after Christmas. And with a second year of the weather phenomenon known as La Nina in full swing, meteorologists are predicting even more flooding for Australia’s east coast, adding to the stress from the pandemic, not to mention from a recent rural mouse plague of biblical proportions. “It feels constant,” said Brett Dickinson, 58, a wheat farmer who lives not far from Southwell in northwest New South Wales, about a six-hour drive from Sydney. “We’re constantly battling all the elements — and the animals too.” There’s a tendency to think of such extremes as “natural disasters” or “acts of God” that come and go with news reports. But Australia’s nightmares of nature ebb and flow. Its droughts and floods, although weather opposites, are driven by the same forces — some of them timeless, others newer and caused by humans. Andy Pitman, director of the ARC Center of Excellence for Climate Extremes at the University of New South Wales, said the ups and downs of weather had been severe for millenniums on the Australian landmass, which is as large as the continental United States and surrounded by powerful climate-driving oceans, from the tropical South Pacific to the colder Southern Ocean off Antarctica. As a consequence, the El Nino and La Nina patterns tend to hit Australia harder than they do other places, with harsh droughts that end with major floods. Some scientists even suggest that the way that marsupials reproduce, with the ability to put active pregnancies on pause, shows that the El Nino-La Nina cycle has been around long enough for flora and fauna to adapt. On top of that already intense variability, Pitman said, are now two additional complicating factors: “climate change and human decisions around building things.” Both make fires and floods more damaging. “A small change in climate coupled with a small change in landscapes can have a large impact on flood characteristics,” Pitman said. The results are already visible in government budgets. The cost of climate disasters in Australia has more than doubled since the 1970s. Ron Campbell, the mayor of Narrabri Shire, which includes Wee Waa, said his area was still waiting for government payments to offset damage from past catastrophes. He wondered when governments would stop paying for infrastructure repairs after every emergency. “The costs are just enormous, not just here but at all the other places in similar circumstances,” he said. More viscerally, the effect of a “supercharged climate” is drawn on the land itself. Across the vast tracts of farmland and small towns between Melbourne and Sydney where much of the country’s food, cattle, wine — and coal — are produced, the effects of fire, drought and flood coexist. Even in areas that did not burst into flames, the heat waves and lack of rainfall that preceded the bush fires killed as much as 60% of the trees in some places. Cattle farmers culled so much of their herds during the drought that beef prices have risen more than 50% as they rush to restock paddocks nourished (nearly to death) by heavy rain. Bryce Guest, a helicopter pilot in Narrabri, once watched the dust bowls grow from above. Then came “just a monstrous amount of rain,” he said, and a new kind of job: flights to mechanical pumps pushing water from fields to irrigation dams in a last-ditch effort to preserve crops that had been heading for a record harvest. On one recent flight, he pointed to mountains of stored grain — worth six figures, at least — that were ruined by the rains, with heavy equipment trapped and rusting next to it. Farther inland, a home surrounded by levees had become a small island accessible only by boat or copter. “Australia is all about water; everything revolves around it,” he said. “Where you put your home, your stock. Everything.” The flood plains in what is known as the Murray-Darling basin stretch out for hundreds of miles, not unlike the land at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The territory is so flat that towns can be cut off with roads flooded by less than an inch of additional rain. That happened a few weeks ago in Bedgerabong, a few hundred miles south of Narrabri. On a recent afternoon, a couple of teachers were being driven out of town in a hulking firetruck — equipment for one disaster often serves another. Across a flooded road behind them, three other teachers had decided to camp out so they could provide some consistency for children who had already been kept out of school for months by pandemic lockdowns. Paul Faulkner, 55, principal of the school (total enrollment: 42), said that many parents craved social connection for their children. The Red Cross has sent in booklets for those struggling with stress and anxiety. “COVID has kept everyone from their families,” he said. “This just isolates them even more.” He admitted that there were a few things they did not discuss; Santa, for one. The town is expected to be cut off until after the holidays as the waters that rose with surging rains over a few days take weeks to drain and fade. In Wee Waa, where the water has started to recede, supplies and people flowed in and out last week by helicopter and in a small boat piloted by volunteers. Still, there were shortages everywhere — mostly of people. In a community of around 2,000 people, half of the teachers at the local public school couldn’t make it to work. At the town’s only pharmacy, Tien On, the owner, struggled with a short-handed staff to keep up with requests. He was especially concerned about delayed drug deliveries by helicopter for patients with mental health medications. Southwell, 69, was better prepared than most. She spent 25 years volunteering with emergency services and has been teaching first aid for decades. After a quick trip into Wee Waa by boat, she returned to her home with groceries and patience, checking a shed for the stray cats she feeds and discovering that only one of her chickens appeared to have drowned. She said she wasn’t sure how much climate change could be blamed for the floods; her father had put their house on higher stilts because they knew the waters would rise on occasion. All she knew was that more extreme weather and severe challenges to the community would be coming their way. “The worst part of it is the waiting,” she said. “And the cleanup.”

First fires, then floods: Climate extremes batter Australia

It has been a week since Kinshasa, the capital of the democratic republic of Congo was hit by floods, the city continues to reel under the disaster's aftermath.

Floods trigger landslide in Kinshasa, exposes fallouts of rapid urbanisation

While one part of Spain battles a volcanic eruption, another is being battered by floods. Heavy rains have triggered floods in the Basque region. A high alert has been also issued in the region.

Spain: Heavy rain and flooding batter Basque region, dozens evacuated

Four people have died and thousands have been evacuated after heavy rains wreaked havoc on Canada's west coast. British Columbia, the Canadian province witnessed record-breaking rainfall for two days which was equivalent to a months worth of deluge.

Canada witnesses historic flood, four dead and thousands evacuated

In a unique development, several farmers and rescuers used boats and personal watercraft, such as jet skis, to rescue hundreds of cows stranded in the floodwaters in Canada’s province of British Columbia.&nbsp;The rescuers made strenuous efforts to tow cows to dry land. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/catastrophic-flooding-triggers-state-of-emergency-in-canada-430285" hreflang="en">'Catastrophic' flooding triggers state of emergency in Canada</a>

Abbotsford Mayor Harry Braun, in a news conference on Wednesday, praised the rescue process.&nbsp;Braun said, "When I see calves that were underwater that they rescued and threw in the boat to save them, I mean, on one hand, it breaks my heart; on the other hand, I'm just so impressed with our farming community that they have come together to help each other." &nbsp;

On Tuesday night, residents in Abbotsford were told to evacuate after the imminent failure of a pump station, which prevents the Fraser River from overflowing onto the Fraser Valley. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/drug-overdoses-killed-a-record-100000-in-us-during-covid-19-pandemic-430274" hreflang="en">Drug overdoses killed a record 100,000 in US during COVID-19 pandemic</a>

Abbotsford is the largest town in Sumas Prairie and houses about three-quarters farmland, Mayor added. "The farmers have adapted to the situation and figuring out how to do things," Braun added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In a unique development, several farmers and rescuers used boats and personal watercraft, such as jet skis, to rescue hundreds of cows stranded in the floodwaters in Canada’s province of British Columbia.

In a unique development, several farmers and rescuers used boats and personal watercraft, such as jet skis, to rescue hundreds of cows stranded in the floodwaters in Canada’s province of British Columbia. The rescuers made strenuous efforts to tow cows to dry land. Also Read: 'Catastrophic' flooding triggers state of emergency in Canada Abbotsford Mayor Harry Braun, in a news conference on Wednesday, praised the rescue process. Braun said, "When I see calves that were underwater that they rescued and threw in the boat to save them, I mean, on one hand, it breaks my heart; on the other hand, I'm just so impressed with our farming community that they have come together to help each other." On Tuesday night, residents in Abbotsford were told to evacuate after the imminent failure of a pump station, which prevents the Fraser River from overflowing onto the Fraser Valley. Also Read: Drug overdoses killed a record 100,000 in US during COVID-19 pandemic Abbotsford is the largest town in Sumas Prairie and houses about three-quarters farmland, Mayor added. "The farmers have adapted to the situation and figuring out how to do things," Braun added. (With inputs from agencies)

To rescue cows, farmers use boats, jet skis as floods wreak havoc in Canada's British Columbia

Canada is dealing with a 'once-in-a-500-year-event' Torrential rains have flooded British Columbia. Vancouver has been cut off from the rest of the country. The Canadian Air Force has been deployed for rescue OPs. Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Floods cut off Vancouver from rest of Canada | Emergency declared in British Columbia

Parts of the Canadian province of British Columbia are under a state of emergency after an unrelenting downpour triggered widespread flooding and mudslides across the area. The unprecedented flooding has claimed one life so far, officials fear that the number could rise.

Major flooding in Canadian provinces, British Columbia declares emergency

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