Four dead in Australia after torrential rain ravages rural towns

Good morning, I'm Choi Chi-hee, and this is the World Now.

Beginning in Australia, severe flooding across New South Wales has resulted in at least four deaths and left more than 50,000 residents under evacuation warnings.

Reports say around four months of rain has fallen in the region over the past two days.

New South Wales Police said Thursday that at least four people died and tens of thousands of residents have become isolated in a "once in a lifetime event."

A slow-moving low-pressure system led to torrential rains and flash flooding over eastern Australia, overflowing rivers and inundating communities.

A major river in Taree, a city on the Mid North Coast, has been among the worst affected, reaching about 6.3 meters on Wednesday, surpassing a century-old record.

Towns including Port Macquarie and Kempsey have also been severely affected, with some areas experiencing flooding for the first time in recorded history.

Emergency services have conducted hundreds of rescues, and over 140 flood warnings have been issued.

While more rain is expected in the coming days, some 9,500 properties have been directly impacted and over 100 schools have been closed.