Cyclone causes extensive flooding in Australia

AUSTRALIA: Ex-tropical cyclone Carlos Friday caused extensive flooding in low-lying areas across Darwin of Northern Territory (NT), Australia.

After causing extensive damage to roads and homes across the NT, Darwin residents breathed a sigh of relief Thursday morning when the category one storm weakened to a tropical low and moved southwest.

However, the threat from the tropical storm is not yet over.

The Bureau of Meteorology said ex-tropical Cyclone Carlos is moving very slowly across the southwest regions and dumped hundreds of millimeters of rain on Thursday night, leading rivers and dams outside Darwin reached capacity and began to overflow. "That community starts to get into trouble when the river peaks between 13.5 and 14 metres," he told Australia Associated Press Thursday night.

By Friday morning, Daly River had reached 13.6 meters and started to encroach on low-lying homes.

The river is expected to rise to 14 meters by 4 pm (CST) on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Darwin River Dam is at capacity since Thursday night with excess water to spilling over.

ABC News reported that five to seven households in low lying areas were inundated and some residents were reportedly winched to safety on Friday by helicopter.

The Adelaide River reached 12.4 metres late Thursday night.Northern Territory Police have been on flood watch at Adelaide River and at the Darwin River Dam area.

CANBERRA, Friday, Xinhua