Australian towns threatened by bushfires now face a potential flooding crisis.

After facing the threat of wildfires, several towns in Australia are now bracing for potential flooding as heavy rain hits the regions of Victoria’s Gippsland and New South Wales’ South Coast. These areas had previously been severely affected by the Black Summer bushfires four years ago. While the rain offers some respite from the bushfires, it has triggered flood warnings, creating a new challenge for these communities.

Australia has been grappling with a series of natural disasters, including prolonged droughts, devastating bushfires, record-breaking floods, and bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef, all exacerbated by the impacts of climate change.

In Victoria’s Gippsland region, where hundreds of firefighters have been battling wildfires for days, residents are now at risk of being isolated by rising floodwaters. Authorities issued stern warnings against attempting to drive through flash floods, emphasising the life-threatening risks involved.

Similarly, in New South Wales (NSW), while some rain has reached the fire-affected areas, the primary flood risk is inland. Other parts of the state continue to face extreme fire danger due to hot, dry, and windy conditions, leading to total fire bans in certain areas.

Australia is entering what authorities anticipate to be one of the most dangerous fire seasons in years, with dozens of fires already burning across the country. The challenges posed by successive disasters have underscored the urgent need for action on climate change.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the link between these disasters and climate change, reaffirming his government’s commitment to addressing climate issues. However, the nation is confronted with a stark warning from the latest UN “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)” report, which suggests that without immediate action, the future could bring even more severe and frequent climate-related disasters.