"Incredible amount of water": tourist region hit by severe flooding

By Carola Frentzen

Sydney -Flood waters are rising in the Australian state of Queensland after heavy rainfall .

The Australian state of Queensland was hit by severe flooding.
The Australian state of Queensland was hit by severe flooding.  © Energy Queensland/AAP/dpa

The area between Townsville and Cairns in the north-east - a region that is also very popular with tourists - has been particularly badly affected. The coastal towns are considered the gateway to the world's largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef.

In Townsville, it rained as much in three days as it usually does in six months, the ABC channel quoted the weather authority BOM as saying. Several rivers burst their banks - and the water is rising.

Around 400 people were housed in evacuation centers, the media reported, citing the emergency services. The power went out in some places. Dozens of schools remained closed at the beginning of the week.

Many supermarkets also closed because some of them were flooded or no longer accessible.

The regional government called on the population to remain calm - there were enough food supplies in the warehouses to last at least six weeks. Some telephone lines and the internet were also interrupted.

More rain expected

Hundreds of people have already had to be evacuated.
Hundreds of people have already had to be evacuated.  © Ergon Energy Network/AAP/dpa

"We are experiencing a significant and prolonged weather event with record-breaking rainfall in many places," said meteorologist Matthew Collopy. He spoke of an "incredible amount of water" and warned that further heavy rainfall was expected.

It will probably take days before the situation eases. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on Platform X that the military was also deployed to help the people.

It is currently summer in Australia due to the different seasons in the southern hemisphere. In recent years, tropical Queensland has experienced extremely heavy rainfall at this time of year, breaking weather records.

In the west of the country, on the other hand, people are sweating in extreme heat. Here, weather experts expect temperatures to rise to up to 50 degrees in some places.