Australia: Monsoon cause severe floods in Queensland

Exceptional monsoon rains have caused severe flooding in parts of Australia's north-eastern state of Queensland.

Cars and livestock have been swept away over a large area around the coastal city of Townsville. Emergency crews are evacuating people on rafts.

As the natural disaster entered its fourth day, the state emergency service confirmed on Saturday that 80 people had been rescued. It was too early to quantify the damage to homes, although some media reports said at least 50 homes had been affected so far.

Up to 20,000 homes could be flooded if the downpours continue, officials warn.

A dam has reached twice its capacity and water is being released to avoid putting further strain on it. More rain is expected in the coming days.

Northern Queensland has a tropical climate and experiences monsoon rain from December to April. But the current conditions in the Townsville area are rare.

"We have not been in this situation before," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is quoted as saying by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

“There has been a lot of rain that has been falling, especially over the Townsville catchment, and some of these levels are unprecedented.

“It is very important that you listen to the local authorities today.”

The worst of the conditions were expected over the next two days, and authorities described the next 48 hours as “crucial”. On Friday, Palaszczuk had described the incoming monsoon as a “once in a 100-year” event and Townsville was declared a disaster zone.

The army is helping to protect homes with sandbags.

Meanwhile, parts of southern Australian are in the grip of a severe drought.

Bushfires are burning in the southern island state of Tasmania, and January was the hottest month on record for Australia as a whole.