Brisbane was inundated after the river running through the city burst its banks. Pic: AP

   The floods that are shaking Australia have killed at least 12 people, according to a new report, and the rains were heading towards Sydney on Wednesday 2 March, where the authorities warned the population.

And the torrential rains have been pounding the country's east coast for 10 days. The floodwaters swept away cars and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes, whose balconies and roofs were completely submerged.

"It's terrible. One life lost is (one life) too many," said Paul Toole, deputy premier of the state of New South Wales, after confirming a third death in the town of Lismore on Wednesday, March 2, bringing the total death toll to 12 in the country

"Today the focus is on Sydney. We are expecting heavy rainfall in the afternoon, overnight and (during) tomorrow," Toole warned at a press conference on Wednesday, March 2.

After ravaging the state of Queensland, the storm moved south, dumping large amounts of water and triggering a series of flood warnings in New South Wales, including Sydney, Australia's largest city. The city's main check dam reached its maximum capacity and began releasing water, Toole detailed.

"If there is a knock on your door if you are asked to leave, please leave," he implored. "We don't want to see images of people standing on the roof of their homes," without leaving, "only to be rescued."

In the New South Wales seaside town of Ballina, some 55 patients at the local hospital were evacuated overnight, hours before the high tide from the sea combined with the waters overflowing the banks of the Richmond River.