Popular with celebrities for its idyllic beaches, the Australian holiday resort of Byron Bay was hit by severe flooding on Wednesday due to severe storms that ravaged the country’s east coast.

Since Monday, the torrential rains have not stopped, with more than 250 millimetres of precipitation in the region in 24 hours. As a result, many businesses in downtown Byron Bay were forced to close after rising waters made traffic impossible. Nearby, in the town of Alstonville, 420 millimetres of rain fell in 24 hours.

On Wednesday morning, thousands of people had to leave their homes to seek refuge in higher areas.

For weeks, Eastern Australia has been battling extreme weather fueled by La Niña and climate change. In early February, at least 22 people died in flooding caused by record rains.

In Lismore, where the water rose to 14.3 meters last month, the seawall broke again on Wednesday morning, emergency services confirmed.

According to forecasts, the water level in the city could reach 11.4 meters this week, complicating the cleanup work.