In addition, rangers at the Australia Reptile Park had to evacuate animals as their enclosures became flooded.
Park director Tim Faulkner said: “Last week, we were having meetings to discuss the threat of bush fires. Today, we’ve had the team out there drenched and acting to secure the safety of our animals.”
New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory were both on flood watch, and New South Wales was hit by huge dust storms which blanketed entire towns.
Severe thunderstorm warnings we also in place across parts of Queensland and the North Territory, and rain in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland have left some areas underwater and caused power cuts.
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