Australian authorities announced today, Saturday, that 152 people were rescued from flood waters in New South Wales in the east of the country after residents were previously urged to seek higher ground due to heavy rainfall.
The authorities reported that 72 rescue operations were conducted in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. Sydney, Australia's largest city, experienced serious flooding in many of its low-lying suburbs.
The New South Wales Emergency Service stated that approximately 15 emergency evacuation orders were issued statewide and that they received 4,128 calls for help in the 24 hours up to 5:00 AM local time.
Chris Minns, New South Wales Premier, said in a televised press conference, "Flood levels in some rivers, especially in western Sydney, continue to rise."
Heavy rains fell on southeastern Australia yesterday, Friday, mostly over Sydney, which led to warnings for citizens to avoid non-essential travel and to stay at home.
Data from the country's meteorological authority indicated that the amount of rain that fell on Sydney over a 24-hour period reached 111 millimeters as of Friday morning.
