Rescue workers saved more than 20 people from flooding in the Australian state of Victoria on Monday, as officials warned of further flooding with storms hitting an already water-logged region in the latest wave of severe weather to strike the eastern coast of the country. Rain and thunderstorms are expected to bring up to 100 millimeters of rainfall, which is more than the monthly average in some areas, across a broad belt stretching from southwestern New South Wales to northeastern Victoria on Monday morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Rescue teams in Victoria received nearly 700 calls for help and conducted 26 rescue operations in the early hours of the day, particularly around the town of Bendigo, located about 120 kilometers north of Melbourne. Authorities issued seven flood warnings across Victoria, with the potential for severe flash flooding even into Monday afternoon as rain falls eastward toward the coast. Eastern Australia has experienced rain, floods, and even a tropical cyclone during the summer when many expected the El Niño phenomenon to bring dry weather and bushfires.
