Sydney Evacuations as Flash Floods, Landslides Hit Amid Torrential Rain

Residents of the Narrabeen Lagoon area in Sydney's Northern Beaches, around 19 km north of the central business district, were told to evacuate shortly before 11 p.m. local time Saturday due to rising floodwaters caused by storms that brought intense rainfall, reports Xinhua news agency.

The State Emergency Service (SES) said on Sunday morning that authorities had rescued 25 people trapped in floodwaters across New South Wales, many of whom were in Sydney.

Three properties at Great Mackerel Beach, an isolated outpost on the northern beaches, were impacted when heavy rain caused a landslide.

The Bureau of Meteorology weather station at Terrey Hill in the Northern Beaches received 179.6 millimetres of rain in the 24 hours to 9 a.m. local time on Sunday, surpassing the 46.6 millimetres it recorded for the entirety of December.

The SES said it responded to over 1400 incidents, including 743 in the Sydney area, and authorities have warned that heavy rainfall is expected to continue north of Sydney on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, a woman died after her car was struck by a falling tree south of Sydney as strong winds and intense rainfall hit Australia's east coast.

Emergency services were called to reports that a tree branch had fallen onto a vehicle around 90 km south of central Sydney shortly before 4 p.m. local time on Saturday.

The female driver of the vehicle died at the scene, while a male passenger in the front seat suffered minor injuries. Two rear-seat passengers were not injured, reports Xinhua news agency.

The east coast state of New South Wales was hit by severe thunderstorms on Saturday, causing flash flooding in northern Sydney and flight delays at Sydney Airport.

The State Emergency Service said it had received hundreds of calls for assistance across the state and that authorities had rescued four people from floodwaters.

The emergency service's Superintendent Matt Kirby told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the severe weather would not ease until Sunday, with heavy rain expected to persist around Sydney and neighbouring regions to the north and south.

"We remind people not to drive through floodwaters and also be wary of where you park your vehicles, as trees can fall at any time," he said.

Beaches around Sydney were closed due to the threat posed by powerful swells, and police have urged people to avoid walking near areas exposed to large waves.

- IANS