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Published 16:17 IST, January 19th 2020

Forecasters predict storms in Victoria amid raging bushfires

The weather department has warned of severe storms in Australia's bushfire-hit state of Victoria, which could lead to flooding and highways to close down.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
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The weather department has warned of severe storms in Australia's bushfire-hit state of Victoria, which could lead to flooding. Severe storms hit some parts of Australia's east coast on Saturday and caused flash flooding and road closure.

Although the rain brought some temporary relief to Australia where bushfire had caused havoc, authorities reported that they are still fighting blazes in many parts of the country. 

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Read: Australia: Flash Floods Cause Road Closures As Storms Hit Bushfire Affected Regions

Australia floods

The severe rains have caused major highways in Queensland to close down while New South Wales has been experiencing power cuts. According to the Bureau of Meteorology in Queensland, while the heavy rainfall has somewhat subsided, the showers and thunderstorms will persist through the weekend.

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The Meteorology Department has also predicted that the state will see widespread rainfall and storms for the next three days. According to international media reports, a forecaster said that Australia is going to see its wettest two days in the recent past.

Read: Floods And Fire In Australia's Weather Crisis

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Officials have issued a warning for people visiting Gold Coast beaches and have urged them to exercise caution. Officials also added that as of Sunday there are 69 fires burning in the New South Wales region of Australia which would ease as heavy rainfalls are predicted in the north of the state. At least 14 fires are still burning in Victoria as of January 19. 

Read: Australia: Thousands Of Fishes Die As Rains Wash Bushfire Ash Into Rivers

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Bushfires in Australia continue to rip through large areas of the country. So far, the inferno has killed at least 29 people across the state. Australia is facing a massive crisis as several parts of the country are ravaged by deadly bushfires affecting people and animals.

The bushfire this season is seemingly unprecedented as it is being termed as the worst summer in the history of the nation. Australia has been under the crisis since September 2019 where over 480 million animals and more than 1,000 homes have been affected by the tragedy. 

Read: Rainstorms Douse Bushfires Across Eastern Australia

(With inputs from agencies)

16:17 IST, January 19th 2020