Australia floods: Three states issue evacuation orders after heavy rain

BBC News:

Communities in three Australian states have been ordered to evacuate as torrential rain brings major flooding.

Parts of the country have received more than three times their average October rainfall in just 24 hours.

At least 500 homes have been flooded, one person has died and another is missing as the disaster unfolds.

Widespread flooding across Australia – driven by a La Niña weather pattern – has killed more than 20 people this year.

Victoria – Australia’s second most populous state – has been worst hit this week. Several communities have been ordered to evacuate, including some in the state capital Melbourne.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the number of inundated homes was “absolutely certain to grow”, calling it one of the state’s worst flood events in decades.

“This has only just started, and it’s going to be with us for a while,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.