Sydney braces for flash floods as rains move south

Sydney prepared for dangerous flash flooding on Wednesday, as other Australian east coast cities began a cleanup operation following record floods which caused 14 dead in recent days.

According to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology there were "severe weather warnings" for heavy rainfalls which could cause "flash and riverine flooding" and damaging winds that could "bring down trees". A meteorologist from the Bureau said to journalists on Wednesday "as the rain continues to fall the situation will continue to escalate as well." In the New South Wales town of Lismore, 600 kilometers north of Sydney, residents began the cleanup. Four deaths have been confirmed in Lismore as of Wednesday with the addition of a 70-year old man found by rescuers in a flooded apartment.