Sydney, March 11, (dpa/GNA) – Australian police have urged residents of the northern town of Burketown in the state of Queensland, to evacuate amid severe flooding in the region, following days of heavy rainfall.
The flood in Burketown, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, is the worst ever seen, with river levels exceeding the flood level of 6.78 metres measured in March 2011, according to the Australian government’s Bureau of Meteorology.
The community in north-western Queensland will be cut off from power, and the town’s sewerage systems have been compromised, broadcaster ABC reported, citing a Queensland Police statement. “It is not safe to stay,” the statement said.
About half of the outback town’s 150 residents have already been flown to safety, according to the report, with other areas also affected.
The flooding comes, after the area saw up to 65 millimetres of rainfall in the 48 hours to Saturday morning.
Further showers and thunderstorms were forecast for Saturday, though widespread rain had generally eased in the area, the meteorological agency said.
GNA