Australia evacuates thousands of people in the worst floods in nearly half a century

Written by Lauren Elliott and Byron Kay

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian authorities issued new flood warnings and evacuation orders on Tuesday as parts of the country were once again hit by torrential torrents that swept away homes, roads and livestock in the worst storm in more than half a century. .

The National Weather Service has issued warnings in every state or territory on the continent except one, affecting about 10 of the country’s 25 million people, in an area the size of the US state of Alaska.

“The rain and flood situation is still very dynamic and complex,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters.

No deaths have been recorded, but thousands of people have been rescued by emergency services in recent days. Authorities ordered about 22,000 people ready to flee their homes, joining around 18,400 people who had already been evacuated.

(Information from Jonathan Barrett, Renjo Jose, Byron Kay, and Lauren Elliott in Sydney; edited by Richard Chang and Jane Wardle; translated by Thomas Cobos)