Extreme rains have triggered a flood of the century in parts of Western Australia. Several towns in the Kimberley region, which is also popular with tourists, are particularly affected. The municipality of Fitzroy Crossing, for example, was already cut off from the outside world on Wednesday, other places could follow. Only last November the east coast of the country was devastated. Climate experts assume that such events could increase in Australia due to climate change.
"We haven't seen a rain like this for at least 100 years," said Stephen Dawson, Regional Minister of Emergency Services. Meteorologist James Ashley from the state Bureau of Meterology also makes the extent clear: The amount of water that currently flows down the Fitzroy River per day is the same as that consumed by the metropolis of Perth in 20 years.
Not only people were in danger, but also the animal world: footage from the 9News channel showed kangaroos and cows trying to get to safety from the floods. Wallabies took refuge on verandas of houses. The authorities also warned of snakes in the water floods.
Record Flood at Fitzroy Crossing Bridge in Wa’s Kimberley region. Residents BING EVACUATED AS EX TC Ellie Moves Westwards. Pic by Andrea Myers. #abcnews pic.twitter.com/oaex4chvnv
The extreme rains are foothills of the tropical cyclons »Ellie«, which was hit on land two weeks ago, meteorologists said. They expected further heavy rains by Thursday. "People in the north of Western Australia know this type of weather conditions at this time of year, but the extreme type of this event and the associated floods are unusual and dangerous," said the weather service.
Experts also predicted severe storms for other parts of the country, such as the south of Queensland and around Sydney. The situation should only improve slowly at the weekend. Summer is currently in Australia. For several regions, experts had recently published heat warnings - including possible bush fires, for example in the state of Victoria or in the Northern Territory.
In 2022, new floods had always caused despair on Australia's east coast. In addition to New South Wales, the states of Queensland, Victoria and South Australia were particularly affected. The country is particularly suffering from the consequences of climate change. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from February 2022 assumes that Australia will be hit by devastating natural events even more frequently in the future.
