Northeastern Australia hit by ‘life-threatening’ flooding

SYDNEY: Near-record rain levels in north Queensland have caused “life-threatening” flooding, Australian authorities said on Sunday, forcing the closure of Cairns airport.

Emergency services said major flooding had particularly hit the northeastern city of Cairns, a tourist hub and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The region´s rivers were already saturated after a tropical cyclone battered the region this week, submerging highways and uprooting trees.

Amid the wild weather, a 10-year-old girl was in critical condition after being hit by lightning in south Queensland on Saturday. Meteorologist Laura Boekel said on Sunday that some areas of Queensland had seen more than 600 millimetres of rain in the previous 24 hours.

An additional 500 millimetres could fall over the next 24-hour period, she warned. “The flash flooding is both dangerous and life-threatening as it can happen very quickly,” she told a press conference.

With flood warnings issued for several areas, Queensland Premier Steven Miles warned that a weather emergency “was playing out”. “I have been speaking with people on the ground, who say they have never seen rainfall like this -- people who have lived in the state´s far north for all their lives,” he added.

“This is very serious and it could get worse.” Miles said rapidly rising water had closed Cairns Airport, which was expected to see flooding exceeding the record levels seen after a cyclone in 1977.