A local kayak paddles past cars as a village in northern Sydney, Australia, is submerged in flooding on the 5th. Heavy rains in Sydney have flooded hundreds of homes in nearby areas and ordered the evacuation of more than 45,000 people. [EPA = 연합뉴스]While Spain and Portugal are experiencing extreme drought, Australia, which is having a winter, has been displaced by more than 30,000 people, including unusual torrential rains in the eastern part of the country.
In some coastal areas, rainfall equivalent to the average annual rainfall fell in just one day.
New South Wales Prime Minister Dominic Perrote said on the 5th (local time) that “32,000 people have been displaced across the state.”
As dams and rivers overflowed due to heavy rain, everything in sight, including houses and cars, was submerged, and more than 45,000 residents were ordered to evacuate. Military personnel were also sent in to help residents evacuate.
According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, more than 100 millimeters of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours in Sydney, New South Wales. More than 150 mm of rain fell in some areas.
Local media have also seen some residents rowing in kayaks.
Experts blame La Niña as the cause of the torrential rains in Australia.
La Niña, which means “girl” in Spanish, is a phenomenon in which the sea surface temperature near the equator in the Pacific is rapidly dropping, resulting in abnormal climates such as drought, floods, heat waves, and cold waves.
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