SYDNEY: Floods caused by heavy rain in the wake of former Tropical Cyclone Jasper cut off several towns popular with tourists in Australia's northeast along the Great Barrier Reef on Monday, with a crocodile being captured from a storm drain.
Jasper dumped months' worth of rain in the far north of Queensland state over the weekend, forcing some people to flee homes and crowd on rooftops to escape fast-rising rivers.
"The problem is the rain won't stop and until it eases up, we can't get aerial support into remote places," the state's premier, Steven Miles, told ABC Television.
"We see a lot of natural disasters and this is just about the worst I can remember."
Jasper was downgraded to a tropical low after leaving a trail of destruction across the state last week.
In Ingham, a town of about 5,000 inundated by floods, conservation officials captured a 2.8-m (9-ft) -long crocodile in a storm drain by a gas station, media clips showed.
Crocodile sightings in north Queensland are more common in rivers, lagoons and swamps in rural areas, however.
Cairns, the gateway town to the Great Barrier Reef and home to more than 150,000 people, received about 600 mm (24 inches) of rain over 40 hours through early Monday. That is more than triple the December mean of 182 mm (7.17 inches).
All flights from Cairns airport were cancelled or postponed, with social media images showing planes partially submerged on the tarmac.
Water pumps have been draining water since Sunday but "it's still not keeping up with the volume of water that came in," Richard Barker, the airport's chief executive, told Sky News.
Dan, living just north of Cairns airport, who gave only one name, told ABC Radio he had to shelter atop his kitchen bench for about four hours before being taken to a house where 30 people had gathered on the roof awaiting rescue boats.
"Kids, elderly people, dogs and cats on this poor bloke's roof who just had brand new solar panels installed ... it was a very harrowing journey navigating the very fast-flowing water and dodging debris," he said.
EL NINO INFLUENCE
Weather officials forecast more rain, as Jasper is likely to persist through Monday, with some regions expected to get 300 mm (12 inches) of rain within six hours. Major flood warnings have gone out, with rivers set to break records dating to 1977.
More than 14,000 properties regionwide have lost power.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said defence forces were on standby to launch rescue and relief efforts.
Australia is now experiencing an El Nino weather phenomenon, which can provoke extremes ranging from wildfires to tropical cyclones and prolonged droughts.
As the northeast battles floods, Australia's southeast, in contrast, is on bushfire alert with temperatures expected to top 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday in some Sydney suburbs.
Reuters
Mon Dec 18 2023
State Emergency Service personnel evacuating people from flood waters in far north Queensland, Australia following heavy rain and flooding from ex-tropical cyclone Jasper, Monday, December 18, 2023. - AAP Image/QFES/via REUTERS
Elak anak kerap kecacingan, banyakkan jenis makanan ini!
Petanda anak yang mengalami kecacingan adalah selalu gatal dan kerap menggaru di bahagian belakang terutama dubur.
PRK Sungai Bakap: Calon PN Abang Abidin selesai buang undi
Abidin hadir berkemeja putih pada jam 8.15 pagi tadi dan terus bergerak untuk proses buang undi.
Hello Kedah platform dekatkan Astro dengan masyarakat setempat
Pengunjung juga tidak melepaskan peluang 'terlibat sama' dalam beberapa aktiviti yang memfokuskan kepada pelbagai lapisan usia.
AWANI Pagi: Jojo sedia harumkan nama Malaysia di pentas dunia
Gelanggang #AWANIPagi akan dikunjungi sensasi Muay Thai, Johan 'Jojo' Ghazali untuk berkongsi perihal langkahnya yang semakin menyinar dalam sukan itu. Jangan ketinggalan saksikan eksklusif di AWANI Pagi 7.30 pagi Sabtu
#AWANInews #AWANIPagi
#AWANInews #AWANIPagi
Ular tedung tercekik botol ubat batuk
Reptilia berkenaan dilihat seperti sukar bernafas dan bergelut untuk mengeluarkan botol dari rahangnya.
PRK Sungai Bakap: Warga emas bersemangat turun undi, bangun 4.30 pagi
Walaupun hanya mengambil masa kira-kira 15 minit untuk sampai ke pusat pengundian, dia keluar lebih awal bagi mengelak kesesakan.
Usaha gencatan senjata, bebas tebusan dapat momentum
Pejabat Netanyahu bagaimanapun memaklumkan, masih terdapat jurang antara kedua-dua pihak.
Siapa wakil rakyat baharu di Sungai Bakap?
Sebanyak sembilan pusat mengundi membabitkan 65 saluran dibuka mulai jam 8 pagi hingga 6 petang sebelum proses penjumlahan undi berlangsung di Dewan Serbaguna Jawi, Taman Desa Jawi bagi tujuan PRK Sungai Bakap ini.
PRK Sungai Bakap: Sembilan pusat mengundi dibuka 8 pagi ini
Proses pengundian hari ini melibatkan 39,151 pengundi yang akan menunaikan tanggungjawab mereka bagi memilih wakil rakyat baharu kawasan itu.
Lima rakyat Palestin terbunuh dalam serangan Israel
Israel mendakwa sedang menjalankan aktiviti memerangi keganasan termasuk serangan udara di Jenin.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Australia siasat Batik Air 737 terbang di bawah altitud minimum
ATSB telah membuka siasatan terhadap pesawat Boeing 737-800 Batik Air Indonesia yang disyaki terbang di bawah altitud minimum.
Penyelidik di Australia temukan kaitan antara dengkur dan tekanan darah tinggi
Menurut kajian, individu yang kerap berdengkur pada waktu malam lebih cenderung mempunyai tekanan darah tinggi dan hipertensi tidak terkawal.
Selesema burung dikesan di ladang keenam di Victoria Australia
Pihak berkuasa tempatan di negeri Victoria, Australia melaporkan bahawa virus selesema burung telah dikesan di ladang keenam, yang sudah dalam kuarantin.
Ketagih laksa, penduduk Darwin anjur Festival Laksa Antarabangsa setiap tahun
Festival itu mengumpulkan semua restoran di kawasan Darwin yang bakal bersaing untuk mendapat gelaran Laksa Serantau Terbaik.
Piala Asia B-23: Indonesia ajar Australia cara main bola
Walaupun Australia mendominasi perlawanan pada separuh masa kedua, kehandalan benteng pertahanan Indonesia mudah mematahkan serangan demi serangan.
Paderi terkemuka Australia ditikam ketika 'live streaming'
Pemimpin gereja itu dilihat rebah ke lantai dan kedengaran suara jeritan para pengikutnya yang kemudiannya menerpa ke arahnya untuk membantunya.
Beratus dipindahkan susulan banjir di Australia
Perintah supaya berpindah dikekalkan di beberapa pekan selepas hujan lebat dan angin kencang yang menggemparkan komuniti di barat Sydney.
Lawatan rasmi ke Australia dan Jerman turut jana potensi jualan eksport produk Malaysia - PM Anwar
Lawatan rasmi ke Australia dan Jerman baru-baru ini, selain mendatangkan keberhasilan yang positif dengan potensi pelaburan, ia juga telah menjana potensi jualan eksport produk Malaysia.
KESUMA anjur forum, pameran kerjaya berasaskan pekerjaan hijau
Forum bertujuan menggalakkan perkembangan pekerjaan hijau selari dengan keperluan pembangunan ekonomi yang terangkum dan persekitaran mapan.