Flash flooding eases in Australia’s largest city Sydney

SYDNEY, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Australian authorities on Sunday downgraded a flood alert for a suburb of the country’s largest city Sydney, after residents were evacuated due to rising waters sparked by torrential rains.

Flooding was “receding and no further significant rise in flood levels is expected,” State Emergency Services said on Sunday afternoon, referring to the suburb of Narrabeen, a beachside area with a population of around 8,000.

Residents and holidaymakers in the low-lying area of New South Wales capital Sydney had been told late on Saturday to evacuate to higher ground due to dangerous flash flooding, according to state authorities.

Climate change is causing heavy short-term rainfall events to become more intense in Australia, the country’s science agency said last year.

Emergency crews responded to more than 1,700 incidents in New South Wales since the heavy rain hit on Saturday, the state authorities said.

A woman died on Saturday amid the wild weather after being hit by a falling tree branch near Wollongong, about 66 km (41 miles) south of Sydney, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

(Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by Diane Craft and Tom Hogue)