Australian emergency services on Sunday issued evacuation orders to residents in Sydney and beyond due to flooding and high rivers after days of heavy rain.
Officials reported 28 rescue operations in 24 hours in eastern New South Wales, a large portion of which involved people attempting to drive on flooded roads.
"The situation is very dangerous on our roads, we are seeing a lot of flooding and it is clear that rivers are still rising," New South Wales Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York told a news conference.
The emergency service added that dozens of evacuation orders were in place in low-lying neighborhoods on the northwest fringes of Sydney and other parts of New South Wales.
It has also issued warnings for about 20 other at-risk areas in the state.
The state´s meteorological center said rainfall has decreased, but flood waters are still pouring into high rivers in the interior and central parts of the New South Wales coast.
Sydney has already had its wettest year since records began about the rainy season in 1858.
A flood disaster on the east coast of Australia in March - caused by severe storms that devastated parts of Queensland and New South Wales - killed more than 20 people.
Tens of Sydney residents were ordered to evacuate in July when floods once again hit the outlying suburbs.
Sydney residents urged to evacuate due to floods
