Heavy rains to continue to lash eastern Australia

Residents along eastern Australia's coastline are cleaning up after torrential rain lashed Sydney and large parts of New South Wales state over the past several days.

Powerful surf conditions along the coastline caused erosion at Sydney's beaches, and sea foam inundated some homes.

Jane Golding from the Bureau of Meteorology said some locations received between 600 and 700 millimeters (24 and 28 inches) of rain since last Wednesday.

She told reporters that more storms are expected over the next week and she urged residents to heed flood warnings.

Dams in the greater Sydney area rose by over 20% to just over 60% on Monday, local media reported.

The huge rainfall also extinguished a major wildfire at Gospers Mountain north west of Sydney, according to local media.