Evacuations in Australia’s Queensland as heavy rain triggers more than a dozen emergency alerts

Many homes at risk of flooding now were also inundated in February

Heavy rains have triggered emergency evacuation alerts in northeastern Australia’s Queensland as many residents have been hit by flooding for the second time in just a few months.

More than a dozen warnings were issued on Friday from North Burnett to the New South Wales border, urging residents to be ready to leave their homes.

“This rain is causing a lot of inundation,” Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in Friday’s briefing, adding that several areas have been badly hit.