GOLD COAST — Torrential rain from the remnants of Cyclone Alfred flooded swathes of Australia’s east coast on Monday, as workers battled to restore power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses.

Even as the weather system weakened, authorities issued a string of flood and severe weather warnings across a 400-kilometre (250-mile) stretch of coast straddling Queensland and New South Wales.

The tropical depression dumped 30 centimetres (one foot) of rain in 24 hours over Queensland’s capital city of Brisbane, the bureau of meteorology said.

Floodwaters swamped some streets in the city of 2.5 million, stranding half-submerged cars in the worst-affected areas, images published in Australian media showed.

Emergency services rescued 17 people from fast-moving waters in Queensland overnight, the state’s premier, David Crisafulli said.

“Rainfall is leading to flash flooding as well as river flooding in parts of the southeast,” he told a news conference. “We are urging people to stay connected because of the prospect of more intense flooding during the course of today.”

Heavy rainfall, flash flooding and moderate-to-major river flooding remained a risk, bureau of meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said. “This is all due to the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred,” he told AFP.

“It did cross the southeast Queensland coast on Saturday, but it has been very slow moving even as it moved over land. And, quite importantly, it is still dragging a lot of moisture.”

Mass power cuts

Utility companies said more than 210,000 homes and businesses were still blacked out in Queensland, and another 10,000 in New South Wales.

In New South Wales, Essential Energy said repairs were underway across the storm-hit region, with “significant vegetation work to remove trees from power lines, re-standing power poles, replacing electrical assets and restringing power lines”.

“The weather pattern is still somewhat unpredictable. We’re expecting some increased rainfalls over the next 24 hours,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told a news conference.

Nevertheless, all but one of the evacuation notices in the state had been lifted, he said.

The wild weather has so far claimed at least one life, after a 61-year-old man’s four-wheel-drive pickup was swept off a bridge Friday in northern New South Wales.

He tried in vain to cling to a tree branch in the river before disappearing into the rapid waters, police said, and his body was found the next day.

In a separate incident Saturday, 13 soldiers were injured and taken to hospital when two army trucks rolled over during a deployment to clear roads near the flood-prone northern New South Wales city of Lismore.

All but one of the troops had been released from hospital by Monday, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.

“The one person who is still in hospital is in a stable condition. Not a life-threatening injury, and is expected to recover,” he told national broadcaster ABC.

“So that’s a relief.” — AFP

PETALING JAYA – Jabatan Meteorologi (MetMalaysia) mengeluarkan amaran ribut petir dan angin kencang di beberapa kawasan di Sarawak.

MetMalaysia dalam laporannya berkata, antara daerah terlibat ialah Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong (Pusa dan Betong) dan Mukah (Matu & Dalat & Mukah).

“Amaran dikeluarkan apabila terdapat tanda-tanda menunjukkan ribut petir dengan intensiti hujan melebihi 20 milimeter sejam yang hampir atau dijangka berlaku melebihi sejam,” katanya hari ini. – KOSMO! ONLINE

PETALING JAYA – Amaran angin kencang timur laut berkelajuan 40-50 kilometer sejam (kmsj) dengan ombak mencapai ketinggian sehingga 3.5 meter dijangka berlaku di kawasan perairan selatan Samui, utara Tioman, utara Bunguran, barat daya Reef North dan Sulawesi sehingga Selasa ini.

Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (MetMalaysia) dalam satu kenyataan berkata, keadaan angin kencang dan laut bergelora itu berbahaya kepada bot-bot kecil, rekreasi laut dan sukan laut.

MetMalaysia turut mengeluarkan amaran angin kencang dan laut bergelora (kategori kedua) di bahagian timur laut yang berkelajuan 50-60 kilometer/jam (kmsj) dengan ombak mencapai ketinggian sehingga 4.5 meter dijangka di kawasan perairan Condore dan barat laut Reef North.

“Amaran angin kencang dan laut bergelora (kategori ketiga) turut dikeluarkan iaitu angin kencang timur laut melebihi 60 kmsj dengan ombak setinggi melebihi 4.5 meter dijangka di kawasan perairan timur laut Condore.

“Keadaan angin kencang dan laut bergelora ini adalah berbahaya kepada semua aktiviti pantai dan perkapalan termasuk pekerja di pelantar minyak,” jelas kenyataan tersebut. – KOSMO! ONLINE

KOTA KINABALU: Setakat jam 4 pagi tadi, jumlah mangsa banjir yang dipindahkan ke pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS) di Sabah meningkat kepada 4,122 orang di lima daerah pedalaman yang dilanda banjir, berbanding 3,569 mangsa malam tadi.

Berdasarkan laporan Sekretariat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri (JPBN) Sabah, daerah Beaufort kekal merekodkan jumlah paling ramai dengan 1,339 mangsa daripada 432 keluarga.

Selain itu, katanya seramai 1,031 mangsa daripada 305 keluarga di daerah Sook, 872 mangsa daripada 293 keluarga di daerah Membakut , 743 mangsa daripada 276 keluarga di Tenom dan 137 mangsa daripada 51 keluarga di Keningau.

Daerah Tenom adalah yang terbaru diisytihar kawasan bencana semalam selepas air Sungai Padas di daerah itu melimpahi tebing dan menenggelami puluhan kampung.

Semua mangsa dipindahkan di 20 PPS yang dibuka di kelima-lima daerah selepas berlaku limpahan air sungai secara mendadak sejak Jumaat lalu berikutan hujan berterusan di kawasan pedalaman.

Banjir turut menyebabkan laluan menghubungkan puluhan kampung di kelima-lima daerah terjejas dan tidak dapat dilalui, selain turut menyebabkan memutuskan jalan perhubungan antara beberapa daerah.

Hujan berterusan di pedalaman Sabah sejak minggu lalu turut mengakibatkan tanah runtuh di beberapa kawasan dengan kejadian berskala besar dilaporkan berlaku di Jalan Keningau – Kimanis hingga menyebabkan laluan menghubungkan kawasan pedalaman dan pantai barat Sabah itu tidak dapat dilalui sepenuhnya sejak kelmarin.

Bencana berkenaan membabitkan enam kawasan Parlimen yang merangkumi kawasan pedalaman Sabah, iaitu Kimanis, Beaufort, Sipitang, Tenom, Keningau dan Pensiangan.

Difahamkan, hujan lebat berterusan dengan kadar yang tinggi mencecah 200 milimeter (mm) berbanding kadar biasa kira-kira 50 mm, selain fenomena air pasang tinggi hingga mencapai 2.5 meter menyebabkan banjir besar di lima daerah terbabit.