Feb 10, 2020 - Science

In photos: Australia's fire-ravaged east coast hit by heavy rain and floods

Waves impact the coast at Collaroy on Sydney's Northern Beaches on Monday. Photo: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Australia's fire-ravaged east coast is being lashed by heavy storms that have caused flash flooding and travel disruptions. And Sydney has endured its wettest four days in 30 years, with 16.3 inches falling in that period, per the Bureau of Meteorology.

The big picture: Much of the state of New South Wales has been crippled by drought. Now, flooding has seen authorities order residents in low-lying areas of Sydney to evacuate. Tens of thousands of people were without power across the state. NSW Maritime said several boats sank amid "turbulent conditions at sea," The Guardian reports. Flooding has also been reported in the nearby state of Queensland.

Swimmers at Narrabeen in Sydney. Photo: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Watsons Bay in Sydney. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images

The beach is eroding at Collaroy on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Photo: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Streets are flooded in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney. Photo: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Sydney's CBD. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images

A Collaroy resident watches as high tide and large waves impact the coast. Photo: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Flashback: In photos: Australia endures floods, dust storms and brown rain as fires rage

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How Super Tuesday is unfolding

A voter takes part in the Democratic primary in Purcellville, Virginia. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Voters in 14 states and one territory cast their ballots on Super Tuesday, tweeting and blogging along the way.

Why it matters: The huge delegate hauls of California and Texas this year make the day about as close as the U.S. gets to a national presidential primary.

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In photos: The South Carolina Democratic debate

Former Vice President Joe Biden thinks and Sen. Amy Klobuchar listens while Tom Steyer makes a point at the tenth Democratic presidential debate Tuesday night. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images.

Candidates spoke past their allotted time, punched the air, talked over each other and at times looked into the camera and directly addressed the American public and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina, the last before Saturday's primary and Super Tuesday a few days following.

Why it matters: South Carolina's contest on Saturday is a measure of African-American support for the 2020 contenders. It's the make-or-break state for former Vice President Joe Biden after he underperformed in the first three contests. It's also a chance to check Sen. Bernie Sanders' momentum, which has eaten into Biden's lead in the state and propelled Sanders to the front of the pack.

Go deeperFeb 26, 2020 - Politics & Policy

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In photos: How coronavirus is impacting cities around the world

Revellers take part in the "Plague Doctors Procession" in Venice on Tuesday night during the usual period of the Carnival festivities, most of which have been canceled following the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy. Photo: Andrea Pattaro/AFP via Getty Images

The novel coronavirus has spread from China to infect people in more than 40 countries and territories around the world, killing over 2,700 people.

The big picture: Most of the 80,000 COVID-19 infections have occurred in mainland China. But cases are starting to surge elsewhere. By Wednesday morning, the worst affected countries outside China were South Korea (1,146), where a U.S. soldier tested positive to the virus, Italy (332), Japan (170), Iran (95) and Singapore (91). On Tuesday, new cases were confirmed in Switzerland, Croatia and Algeria.

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