SYDNEY: Emergency authorities in Australia are warning of “life-threatening” flash floods as torrential rains batter parts of the country’s east coast.

Dozens of people have been rescued from floodwaters, and residents in many low-lying communities of New South Wales have been ordered to leave their homes. BBC reported

Police say hundreds of people have flocked to evacuation centers in areas north of the city of Sydney.

Major roads have been shut. Footage has emerged of a house being swept away.

Warragamba dam in Sydney, the city’s main water source, has begun to overflow for the first time since 2016, and WaterNSW warns others are also expected to spill over.

Up to 100mm (four inches) of rain is forecast for Sydney, and as much as 300mm for the lower Blue Mountains, west of the city.

“We are in uncharted territory,” water expert Ian Wright at Western Sydney University told outlet News.com.au, saying many more people live next to Warragamba dam than during the previous flooding.

Sydney residents posted pictures on social media of flooded roads and rising waters near their homes.

Agata Imielska from the Bureau of Meteorology warned of localized intense rainfall and damaging winds, saying the public should be aware of “dangerous conditions” that can change quite quickly.

Warragamba dam has started to spill. With heavy rainfall persisting, we are also expecting to see spills at Nepean, Cataract, Cordeaux and Avon dams.
For weather forecasts and flood warnings, visit https://t.co/2GW553xMtn
For emergency information, visit https://t.co/7v9ukIZgQB pic.twitter.com/eainGUuCaw

— WaterNSW (@WaterNSW) March 20, 2021