Heavy rains and flooding leave thousands without power in southeastern Australia

Heavy rains in southeastern Australia left thousands of homes without power and emergency services conducted multiple flood-related rescues across the region on Thursday.

Threat level: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecaster Jonathan How warned more heavy rainfall that could lead to "life-threatening flash-flooding" was "on the way" as evacuations orders and warnings were issued across Victoria, New South Wales and the island state of Tasmania.

• Victoria's State Emergency Service said it had responded to 30 flood-related rescues, and schools were closed across the state.
• Rescues also took place in Tasmania.

The big picture: At least 20 people have died in Australia this year due to widespread flooding that climate scientists say have been driven by climate change and La Niña conditions present for a third-straight year in the Pacific.

Go deeper: Global warming drives Sydney to wettest year on record