Sydney, Australia, Thousands of residents in Sydney suburbs were told to evacuate their homes today after heavy rains caused floodwaters to rise and rivers to overflow in what local authorities called life-threatening emergencies.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for heavy rains and flash floods and winds of up to 90 kilometers (55 miles) per hour along the coast of Australia’s most populous city and other parts of New South Wales state.

Australian authorities said that Warragamba Dam in western Sydney began overflowing overnight and the peak spill would be comparable to devastating flooding in March 2021.

Source: Oman News Agency