Thousands evacuated in Australia's worst flooding in almost half a century

A general view shows a flooded residential area near Windsor as torrential downpours lashed Australia's east forcing thousands to flee the worst flooding in decades.

* Around 40% of population under severe weather warnings * Houses, bridges, vehicles, livestock swept away * Almost 20,000 people evacuated * Emergency crews evacuate people north-west of Sydney Australian authorities issued fresh flood warnings and evacuation orders on Tuesday as torrential rains again pummelled several parts of the country, sweeping away homes, roads and livestock in the worst downpour in more than half a century. The national weather agency has posted severe weather warnings in every mainland state or territory but one, affecting around 10 million people in the country of 25 million, across an area the size of Alaska. ‘The rain and flood situation does remain dynamic and extremely complex,’ Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters.