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Flooded street in Vineyard in Sydney
Photo: Flavio Brancaleone/dpa
People across large parts of Australia's east coast are experiencing an extremely wet Friday and also have to prepare for a completely rainy weekend. In the metropolis of Sydney, the extreme rainfall has now caused considerable disruption.
Classes were canceled in numerous schools and roads were sometimes impassable. In the 24 hours to Friday morning, 111 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in the city. According to the weather office, the average rainfall is 121.5 millimeters - for the entire month of April. So far, the forecast predicts further rainfall, so that the 200 millimeter mark could be reached on Friday.
However, the extremely bad weather is not just limited to Sydney. Severe weather warnings are in effect for almost the entire eastern part of the state of New South Wales. The state transportation agency advised against non-essential car trips statewide. Such wide-ranging warnings are rather unusual.
Across Sydney and surrounding regions, people in coastal areas are being asked to stay at home. Rescue workers reported more than 550 missions in the state within 24 hours. Between 50 and 90 flights had to be canceled at Sydney airports, most of them domestic connections.
The basins at the Warragamba Dam on the southwestern edge of Sydney were already 96 percent full on Friday - and more rain was already on the way. »If 90 millimeters more rain falls, it will be full. And 100 to 150 millimeters are expected,” Andrew George from Water Management New South Wales told the Australian Associated Press. An overflow will happen with a delay - probably only after the weekend.
At least the weather report promises a little positive outlook: According to the meteorologists, the band of rain will ease over the course of Saturday and then move out to sea.
yikes