The police have advised all inhabitants of Burketown, a remote town in northeastern Australia, to evacuate due to the likelihood of rising floodwaters, which have already hit record highs. Helicopters and other aircraft have been used to evacuate 53 of the most vulnerable residents.
The floods have turned the area into lakes, with water lapping at the sides of buildings and only tree tops visible. More people are expected to be ferried out of the area during the day. The floods have been caused by heavy rains, which have now eased, and have exceeded the March 2011 record of 6.78 meters in the town’s Albert River.
The river is expected to peak on Sunday. Australia has experienced heavy rainfall in the last two years due to back-to-back La Nina climate cycles. However, the national bureau of meteorology has predicted drier and warmer weather in the upcoming months as La Nina nears its end.
Researchers in Australia have repeatedly warned that climate change is exacerbating the risk of natural disasters, as evidenced by the previous year’s floods, which resulted in the loss of more than 20 lives.