After deadly fires, Australia hit by flash floods
Parts of Australia’s east coast were hit by severe storms on Saturday, dousing some of the bushfires that have devastated the region for months but causing road closures and flash flooding. Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland -- three of the states most hit by drought and bushfires -- are now dealing with rain bucketing down in several areas.
Despite the heavy rain, authorities were still battling nearly 100 blazes -- part of the bushfires that have killed 29 people since September, destroyed more than 2,500 homes and scorched an area nearly one-third the size of Germany. Major highways were closed in Queensland on Saturday, with the state getting some of the heaviest rain Australia has seen for months, while power was cut in parts of New South Wales after a stormy night. “Heavy, intense rainfall has eased, but showers and thunderstorms still possible through the weekend,” the Bureau of
Meteorology in Queensland said on Twitter on Saturday.
“Take care on the roads - if it’s flooded, forget it.”
Parts of Queensland’s south saw triple the monthly rainfall overnight. No major damage has been reported, although some residential areas were flooded and many of the state’s parks and tourist attractions were closed.
New South Wales fire services said on Twitter that rain will help to control the fires.
SAN FRANCISCO: Climate change should be addressed by Congress and the electorate, not the courts, a federal appeals panel in the US ruled in ending a lawsuit brought on behalf of young people who sought to force the American government to draw up a plan to phase out fossil fuel emissions.
In a split decision on Friday, the US Court of Appeals in San Francisco agreed the 21 youngeters who sued presented compelling evidence that climate change is bringing “eve of destruction” nearer, but said it was beyond its power to order a remedial plan.
“Any effective plan would require a host of complex policy decisions entrusted to the wisdom and discretion of the executive and legislative branches,” the majority on the panel said.
The litigation filed in 2015 during the Obama administration survived longer than many expected. Arguing that the government hasn’t done enough to protect future generations from global warming, the teenagers claimed they’ve been deprived of their constitutional right to a livable climate.
US circuit court judge Josephine Staton dissented, accusing her colleagues of giving up in the face of a calamity. Staton wrote, “Seeking to quash this suit, the government bluntly insists it has the absolute and unreviewable power to destroy the nation.”