SYDNEY, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Multiple people have been rescued and emergency warnings have been issued amid flooding caused by a severe thunderstorm in the northeast Australian state of Queensland.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said in a warning issued on Thursday morning that a very dangerous slow-moving thunderstorm was detected north of Brisbane and could bring dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding to the city and surrounding areas.
It said that 168 millimeters of rain were recorded near the town of Morayfield, 40 km north of central Brisbane, in the three hours to 7:30 a.m. local time.
Millions of people in Brisbane, the neighboring city of Ipswich and nearby smaller towns have been advised to close their doors and windows, to ensure their children are in the care of an adult and to park cars undercover away from trees.
Queensland's Deputy Police Commissioner Chris Stream told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that multiple people had been rescued from floodwaters by members of the public in two separate incidents overnight. ■
