Thousands flee homes as Australia battles massive floods  

Canberra, Feb 2 (IANS) A woman has died while thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes after torrential rainfall caused flooding in northern Queensland, authorities said, adding that waters will continue to rise and warned of a "dangerous and life-threatening" situation.

More than 1,000mm (39 inches) of rain has fallen on parts of north-east Queensland since Friday with "record rainfalls" set to continue into Monday, according to Queensland State Premier David Crisafulli.

Crisafulli said conditions were unlike anything northern Queensland had experienced "for a long time".

Meteorologists said that these could be the worst floods in the region in more than 60 years, BBC reported.

"It's not just the intensity, but it's also the longevity of it," he told Australian broadcaster ABC.

The woman who died was onboard a State Emergency Service (SES) dinghy which hit a tree and capsized in the town of Ingham, in north-west Queensland.

It is understood she was a member of the public who was being rescued at the time and was not an emergency worker, BBC reported. 

The other five people on board were able to get to safety. An investigation has been launched.

Meanwhile, three people were rescued from the roof of a house in Cardwell, about halfway between Cairns and Townsville.

Video has emerged showing a man clinging to a pole in Ingham after his vehicle was washed away -- and being taken to safety by locals in a boat.

The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group says that 1,700 homes in the city may be inundated -- some up to the second floor -- as river levels rise.

Thousands of people across six Townsville suburbs were told to leave their homes by midday on Sunday, but officials say about 10 per cent of residents had opted to stay.

The same areas were severely hit during the 2019 flooding, BBC reported.

Premier Crisafulli urged people to heed the warnings, saying: "In the end, houses and cars and furniture, that can all be replaced. Your family can't."

On Sunday night local time, a new evacuation centre was being opened – as others reached capacity.

Parts of the road between Townsville and the tourist centre of Cairns have been cut off, hampering efforts to get rescue teams and sandbags to the worst-hit areas.

Meanwhile, Townsville airport is closed until Monday morning, supermarkets have run out of fresh food, and thousands of homes are without power, including in Ingham and the Indigenous community of Palm Island.

And there is a warning for locals to watch for crocodiles lurking in floodwaters away from their usual habitats.

North Queensland is prone to destructive cyclones, storms and flooding.

But climate scientists say that warmer oceans and a hotter planet create the conditions for more intense and frequent extreme rainfall events.

--IANS

int/khz