Major flood warning issued for Australian island state of Tasmania

Residents of the Australian island state of Tasmania have been told to prepare to evacuate their homes and businesses amid heavy rainfall and severe winds.

Authorities on Sunday issued a major flood warning for the town of New Norfolk on the banks of the River Derwent in Tasmania's southeast and told people in the region to prepare to leave.

Mick Lowe, executive director of the Tasmanian State Emergency Service, said properties could become inundated, and major roads closed due to flooding and that some towns in the area could become isolated for several days.

Wind damage and fallen trees have caused widespread blackouts in the state, with 32,000 properties left without power as of 9:30 a.m. local time on Sunday.

Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company, reported that 38 network sites in Tasmania were without power, causing mobile network outages.

Residents of the Huon Valley region on the south coast were on Sunday asked to conserve water after a major water treatment plant was affected by the power outages.

It comes as winds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour and heavy rains battered Tasmania, which is the smallest of Australia's six states by population and area.

Sarah Scully, a senior meteorologist from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television that winds recorded in southern Tasmania on Saturday night were the equivalent strength of a category-3 tropical cyclone.

She said the River Derwent is expected to peak at major flood levels on Sunday evening.

The Spirit of Tasmania, a ferry between Tasmania and the state of Victoria on the Australian mainland, canceled a trip on Saturday night due to the powerful winds.

As of Sunday morning, flights were still operating from the airport in Hobart, Tasmania's capital and largest city, and were not expected to be impacted.