One person died on Friday in the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland as a result of severe flooding, authorities said, and urged thousands of people to move to higher ground due to heavy rains, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
There is significant flooding in the coastal area of Hinchinbrook, home to about 11,000 people, about 500 km north of the state capital Brisbane. Several suburbs in the nearby city of Townsville have also been affected, authorities said.
North Queensland has significant deposits of zinc, silver, lead, copper and iron ore, and Townsville is a major center for non-ferrous metals processing in the region. In 2019 Severe flooding has paralysed rail transport of lead and zinc concentrate and damaged thousands of properties.
"Residents in low-lying areas should gather their evacuation equipment and move to higher ground. This situation could pose a threat to life and property," local emergency services warned this morning.
The floods were the result of torrential rains brought by a low-pressure system loaded with tropical moisture, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on its website, adding that 24-hour rainfall amounts could reach 300mm.
According to forecasts, intense rainfall and damaging winds could continue into early next week.