Queensland: Two people have died and hundreds have been displaced from their homes as floods hit the Australian state of Queensland. Seasonal rains caused flooding that lasted a week, destroying small rural towns on the state’s north coast, sweeping away a major bridge and cutting off drinking water supplies.

According to Oman News Agency, thousands of residents in low-lying coastal suburbs and towns are under immediate evacuation orders, while hundreds remain in evacuation centers as flooding recedes. The number of homes which have been damaged beyond repair is not known yet.

Officials are working with the military to connect generators after thousands of homes were left without power yesterday, as the devastation caused by this week’s heavy rains was significant, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said.

Meteorologists in Australia said the seasonal rains were the result of a low tropical pressure caused by a marine heatwave. These are the same weather conditions that have caused flooding in the state before. Rising ocean temperatures due to climate change have increased the frequency of such events in Australia.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology warned that parts of Western Australia would experience a severe heatwave or thunderstorms in most Australian states.