Australia warns of floods, fires after cars washed away; Floods kill 10 in South Africa, Mozambique on alert

by AFP Staff Writers
Sydney (AFP) Jan 16, 2026

Australia's emergency services warned people Friday to stay prepared for sudden downpours and dangerous bushfires in the country's east after a flash flood swept cars into the sea.

Heavy rains on Thursday sent a deluge of water flowing through some parts of the eastern state of Victoria, which is still battling 10 major bushfires.

Photo and video images in local media showed one car rolling around in muddy waters as it was carried along the Wye River southwest of Melbourne.

Two cars were still partially submerged under the ocean waves on Friday, a few steps from the sandy coastline.

A local record of 186 millimetres (more than seven inches) fell in the 24 hours to Friday morning in one spot, the state meteorology service said.

Most of that water fell on Thursday.

"We've seen severe-to-extreme heat wave, catastrophic bushfires and now extreme flash flooding in the southwest of the state," Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch told reporters.

"It really is a timely reminder that communities need to be prepared for all types of emergencies."

The flash flood cut off the state's Great Ocean Road and forced up to 300 people to flee, officials said. Many of them were reportedly holidaying at caravan camps. One child was injured and airlifted to hospital.

"It was raining, we were all in the tent playing cards with the gang, then we heard shouting," camper Matthew Stanhope told The Age newspaper, saying he and his friends ran to a nearby hill.

"It was lightning fast and quiet too. There's no noise, just all of a sudden the water is up."

Flood risks have since eased in the state.

Victoria declared a state of disaster on January 10 after days of battling bushfires that have razed homes and killed one person north of Melbourne.

Emergency services said the fires have so far destroyed 289 homes and damaged another 18, as well as hundreds of outbuildings.

Floods kill 10 in South Africa, Mozambique on alert
Johannesburg (AFP) Jan 15, 2026 - Flooding triggered by torrential rains in northeastern South Africa claimed at least 10 lives overnight and forced the closure of the iconic Kruger National Park, officials said Thursday.

The weather service issued the maximum warning for more rain in parts of the country while neighbouring Mozambique was also on alert after flooding that inundated roads and homes.

Nine people died in a village in South Africa's Limpopo province near Kruger, a provincial spokesperson told AFP.

Nearly 200 people have been rescued, he said.

Images released by South Africa's National Defence Force showed a military helicopter airlifting stranded residents from trees.

In neighbouring Mpumalanga province, rescuers on Thursday recovered the body of a woman who drowned while trying to cross a river.

At least 19 people have died in Mpumalanga since the rains began in November, provincial spokesperson Freddy Ngobe told AFP.

"As at now, the rains are pouring, they do cool off for a few hours or so, but the rivers are overflowing," he said, warning that low?lying areas remained at risk as major dams had reached full capacity.

President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Limpopo on Thursday "to assess the extent of the damage and the response of government," his office said.

The Kruger National Park, a premier destination for wildlife tourism, had to evacuate six bush camps and some tented camps, the park's communications director, Rey Thakuli, told AFP.

Day?visitor access to the park was suspended Thursday.

In Mozambique, authorities began evacuating residents from low?lying areas because of the high water levels, with reports of an unspecified loss of life.

Mozambique's meteorology department said more heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds were expected in the coming days, including in the capital Maputo.

While the southern hemisphere summer typically brings seasonal rains, this year's extremes have unfolded against a backdrop of deepening climate stress with downpours in northeastern South Africa and dry conditions and wildfires further south.

"Our summer of extremes is but a small foretaste of the climate impacts that could follow if we do not act now," James Reeler, senior climate specialist at WWF South Africa, said in a statement.