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Record rainfall has caused the worst flooding in decades in eastern Australia.
After the Warragamba dam, which is immensely important for the drinking water supply of Sydney, overflowed on Saturday, the authorities ordered the evacuation of low-lying areas in the northwest of the metropolis on Sunday.
The meteorological authority spoke of a "potentially life-threatening" situation in New South Wales, the government of the state classified the situation as a "natural disaster".
Given the flooding of the Warragamba Dam, authorities warned against crossing the Hawkesbury River.
Floods are to be expected that have not occurred since 1961.
"It is one of the largest floods we are likely to see in a long time," said Meteorological Bureau chief of operations for floods, Justin Robinson.
The authorities appealed to people to abide by the "dozen" official warnings that applied to much of the east coast, from Port Macquarie to regions 500 kilometers south of Sydney.
Anyone who lives in one of the evacuation zones has to "leave it immediately," emphasized the Deputy Chief of the Disaster Management Agency of New South Wales, Dean Storey.
"A situation that only exists once in 100 years"
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New South Wales is experiencing "a situation that will only exist once in 100 years," said the head of government of the most populous Australian state, Gladys Berejiklian.
The meteorological authority expected the rainfalls to intensify again on Monday.
The experts predicted that the situation would ease at the end of next week.
People stand on an undermined stretch of road 200 kilometers north of Sydney
Source: dpa / Mark Baker
Oxford Falls Road is closed due to flooding on the Northern Beaches
Source: dpa / Brendon Thorne
A flooded area in Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Source: via REUTERS
Hundreds of residents of the affected areas had already taken to safety in quickly established protection centers in northern Sydney on Saturday.
The authorities said that around 4,000 more people might be asked to leave their homes in the coming days.
The emergency services have reported more than 7,000 calls for help since Thursday and went on about 650 rescue operations.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke of "absolutely heartbreaking" images of flooded homes and communities.
TV stations released footage from the town of Taree showing a house being carried away by a river.
Around 150 people in the city were accommodated in a local lecture hall that had previously been used as an emergency shelter for those affected by the devastating forest fires.
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Club Taree boss Paul Allen described the floods as a "disaster".
He said on ABC that some of the city's residents had "lost everything".
According to ABC, the first major phase of the corona vaccination campaign in the greater Sydney area is likely to be further delayed due to the floods.
In Australia, vaccinations against the coronavirus are supposed to start on Monday after there were problems with the delivery of the vaccine.