In the Australian state of New South Wales, many people are waiting on their roofs for rescue.

Entire areas on Australia's east coast are flooded following heavy rainfall. The small towns of Taree in the Hunter Valley wine region and Wingham in the Mid North Coast region are particularly affected. The affected area is located approximately 300 kilometers north of Sydney.

The Manning River, which flows through the region, rose to a record level of more than six meters, exceeding the previous high set in 1929, according to 9News. Authorities fear the water will continue to rise due to continued rainfall.

ABC television spoke of "flooding of unprecedented proportions" and showed images of people being rescued from their roofs by emergency services using helicopters and boats. According to authorities, emergency services deployed around 1,600 people.

An ABC reporter on the scene described dramatic scenes. In addition to the rain, there were strong winds and freezing temperatures. "Some of the people who were brought to safety were crying and hugging their rescuers," she said. Many of those affected were shivering from the cold and were being cared for in ambulances. At the same time, several evacuation centers were set up.

However, some residents waited in vain for rescue all night. 9News spoke to a woman who had been waiting on the roof of her house with her family for about twelve hours, while meters of brown water flowed below her. "It's a really dangerous situation because the river surrounds us on all sides," she said. "We just want to be rescued."

More than 80 schools initially remained closed. Power outages occurred. Meanwhile, meteorologists predicted further heavy rainfall through Friday. The state weather service warned of "life-threatening flash floods" in some regions.