Rain Pelts Fire-Ravaged Aussie States, Bringing New Risks and Some Relief

Severe thunderstorms are pelting some regions of Australia suffering from historic wildfires with powerful rain, bringing much-needed relief to firefighters battling the worst blazes the country has seen in decades.

“Our fingers are crossed that this continues over the coming days,” the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) said yesterday in a tweet.

Rain fell on most firegrounds in the state over the last 24 hours, the RFS said.

However, it wasn’t enough to put out the flames. Eighty-two fires were still burning, including 30 that were yet to be contained.

Residents of drought-hit areas who have spent years waiting for rain celebrated its arrival on Thursday.

Rain fell in major cities, including Sydney, where water flowed through the streets.

Forecasters predict more rain over the next few days, but they warn it could cause flash flooding in areas of parched land.

Years of drought have left some regions so dry that rain just runs off the ground.

The massive fires have burned through some of the vegetation that would normally soak up the precipitation.

Trees weakened by fire are also at risk of falling, and rain could wash ash and debris in waterways, causing water pollution, authorities say.

The Victoria State Emergency Service posted several images on Facebook showing damage from the storm, including a sinkhole four meters (13 feet) deep. Lightning from the storms has sparked a number of new grass fires in New South Wales and

Victoria, though it’s hoped the damp conditions will help stop the flames from spreading.

Parts of Melbourne were hit with as much as 77 millimeters (3 inches) of rain, causing flooding and some damage, the Victoria Bureau of Meteorology said on Thursday. CNN affiliate Nine News reported some neighborhoods were hit by a month’s worth of rain in just hours, though not in East Gippsland, where some of the worst fires in the state are raging.