Parts of Australia hit by March storms under severe weather warnings

SYDNEY - Parts of eastern Australia were under severe weather and flood warnings, the country's weather forecaster said on Sunday, months after massive floods hit the country's east coast.

In March at least 13 people were killed and tens of thousands evacuated due to extreme weather in Queensland and New South Wales, which submerged town centres, washed away homes and cut power. 

The Bureau of Meteorology on Sunday issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds for parts southeast Queensland, saying damaging gusts with peaks around 100 km (60 miles) per hour were possible through the day.

"Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees. Beware of fallen trees and power lines," the agency said. Four flood warnings were in place in the state.

In neighbouring New South Wales to the south, eight flood warnings were in place, and a severe weather warning for damaging surf covered the state's northern rivers and mid-north coast, areas severely hit by the March weather crisis.

Causing the wild weather was a low pressure system off the state's northern coast, the weather forecaster said.

During the March crisis, military helicopters airlifted stranded people from rooftops, while motorists and animals were rescued from bridges after rising waters submerged surrounding lands.

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