One in a 100-year storm turns Sydney’s street into rivers

Australians have been called for emergency assistance after storms lashed Sydney and nearby regions, causing floods, power cuts, and flight delays.

Sydney had its average monthly rainfall within just two hours on Wednesday, according to meteorologists.

Authorities said at least 11 people had been rescued from vehicles trapped in floods. One man died in a car accident.

Police called on motorists to stay off the roads. One person was killed in a car crash and two police officers seriously injured when a tree fell on them as they helped a stranded motorist.

"We cannot stress enough that motorists should never attempt to drive through flood waters or cross flooded causeways," said assistant commissioner Michael Corboy of New South Wales (NSW) Police.

Images posted online showed flooded roads, houses, and train stations.

Although the rains offered a welcomed respite to farmers who have suffered through a sustained drought in recent months, The weather played havoc with the morning commute in Australia's biggest city, with many transport services canceled or delayed.

Sydney Airport, the country’s busiest, said 130 flights had been canceled or delayed after it was forced to close two of its three runways.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said within just a few hours Sydney got more than 100 mm of rain, a level that the country’s most populous city would normally get through the whole of November.

“That’s the sort of rainfall you’d expect to see once every 100 years,” said Ann Farrell, the bureau’s state manager, told reporters.

"The intensity of that rainfall was phenomenal - 91mm fell in 90 minutes," forecaster Rob Taggart told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The storm centered on coastal parts of NSW but was reported to have missed many inland regions affected by drought.

Authorities urged people to stay safe ahead of more forecast storms later on Wednesday.