Sydney – AFP
Australian cities, battered by devastating floods last week, are bracing for worse weather on Sunday.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology called for vigilance due to severe thunderstorms and flooding expected in the state of Queensland (northeast); Where 11 people died last week due to bad weather.
Meteorologists predicted a sudden rise in the water level in Brisbane, which has a population of 2.6 million.
It is also forecasting torrential rain, hail, gales and strong winds in New South Wales to the south, including Lismore, which experienced record flooding last week that forced aid workers to evacuate residents stranded on their roofs.
The death toll from floods in that state rose to five following the body of a man was found Saturday.
Residents of some areas devastated by bad weather have taken to social media to denounce the shortage of manpower to help repair the damage.
In Lismore, Tom Wolfe, who runs a local charity, said he spent Saturday collecting donations of insulin that were then delivered by helicopter to diabetics who live in nearby Woodburn.
On Sunday, Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton defended the ministry’s performance, stressing that he was fully satisfied with its response to the situation.
In recent years, Australia has faced severe damage from climate change, from droughts to bushfires and floods more and more frequently and with greater intensity.