More than 30,000 Sydney residents were ordered to evacuate their homes on Monday due to “life-threatening” flooding.
Why is this important: Australia is facing its fourth round of flooding in less than a year and a half, according to the Associated Press. The flooding was considered one of the worst series of extreme weather conditions for the country’s most populous city in the past 18 months.
Driving the news: A strong storm off Australia’s southeast coast brought moisture inland, combined with rough seas and high winds, according to the Bureau of Meteorology Australia.
- More than 1.6 feet of rain has poured over eastern New South Wales in the past 48 hours, CNN reports.
- Authorities reported at least 3 feet of rain after days of torrential downpours, resulting in overwhelmed dams and shattered waterways, per AP.
- Nearly 32,000 people have been issued evacuation orders and warnings due to widespread flooding, New South Wales state Premier Dominic Perrottet told AP.
What they say : “The latest information we have is that there is a very good chance that the flood will be worse than any of the other three floods these areas have experienced in the last 18 months,” said the Minister of Emergency Management, Murray Watt, per AP.
What we are looking at: Sydney braced for more showers on Monday and the weather is expected to ease on Tuesday, according to The Guardian.
The big picture: Flooding in Australia has become the new normal.
- The country experienced flooding in early summer. But now it has become commonplace, raising questions about how to support communities feeling the brunt of the storms, according to CNN.
thought bubble Going through Axios’ Andrew Freedman: Heavy precipitation events are a feature of climate change, with warming air and sea temperatures increasing the amount of moisture in the atmosphere available to storms. Numerous studies show clear links between the increase in extreme precipitation events around the world and human-induced climate change.
- The fact that this is the fourth major flood in New South Wales, including Sydney, in such a short time illustrates Australia’s vulnerability to such events, as well as the challenges ahead for s adapt to the new normal.
Go further: Extreme weather conditions overtake the world
