Floods kill 3 as storm sweeps southeast Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AA) – Three people have been found dead in cars as heavy rainfall and strong winds sweep across southeastern Australia, causing floods along the coast and riversides.

Local media reported Monday that the fatalities were discovered in a creek near Bowral town in New South Wales state, in Leppington in Sydney's southwest and near a dam in the Canberra capital region.

A swimmer was reported missing at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, along with two elderly people in the southern island state of Tasmania.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rebecca Kamitakahara told the Australian Associated Press that the area is “not completely out of the woods yet".

The bureau announced that “dangerous” waves are expected to continue to lash the coast of New South Wales along with “abnormally” high tides that could result in more flooding and erosion overnight Monday.

More than 2,700 residences have been evacuated along the state’s north.

Its State Emergency Service said 287 rescues were conducted in flooded areas, with teams still responding to more than 9,700 “calls for help”.

Over the weekend, power was disrupted to more than 226,000 homes and businesses in the region, where roadways and infrastructure were also impacted.

The mayor of Latrobe, a town in northern Tasmania on the Mersey River, said the army had been called in amid the "unique" flooding situation.

"We're doing everything we can and all the resources are being thrown at it that we can muster," the news agency quoted Mayor Peter Freshney as saying.