At least four Australian states are facing extreme weather and heavy rain caused by a rare weather pattern over the Simpson Desert. South Australia, Victoria, and south-west New South Wales are forecast to receive their heaviest rainfall in over a decade.
Senior meteorologist Angus Hines from the Bureau of Meteorology said the rain was driven by a slow-moving tropical low-pressure system that has been sitting over the south-east of the Northern Territory for several days, drenching outback areas across multiple states.
In Greater Sydney, intense rainfall left over 3,000 people without power, and the State Emergency Service carried out 40 flood rescues in just three hours. Western Sydney saw a dozen homes evacuated due to flash flooding. In Victoria, storms dumped 50 millimetres of rain in some areas, prompting about 290 calls for help.
In Western Australia, more than 10,000 lightning strikes were recorded, with a man in his 70s hospitalized after being struck while walking his dog in Perth. Two teenage girls were also treated after lightning struck near them at a school. No more thunderstorms are forecast for the region.
The rain has caused widespread flooding in outback Australia, washing away parts of the East West rail line, with sections up to 100 metres long swept away. In Mount Isa, Queensland, 318.6mm of rain hit the mining city this month, turning dry dirt into rivers and lakes.
For some communities, the rain means further isolation, extending an early wet season. The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast for March indicates above-average rainfall for much of northern Australia and parts of the New South Wales north coast.
