Australia fires: Heavy rains hit some blaze-hit regions

AKIPRESS.COM - Heavy rains and thunderstorms have lashed parts of Australia's east coast, dousing some of its fires but bringing a new threat of flooding to some areas, BBC reports.
There have been downpours in the states of Victoria, New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, which have all been badly hit by the bushfire crisis.
Major roads were closed in Queensland and power cuts were reported in parts of NSW as a result of the weather.
But fire officials said the rain was helping to tackle some of the blazes.
Fires have been raging in Australia since September, killing at least 28 people, destroying thousands of homes and scorching millions of acres of land.
NSW reported severe rainfall and storms in several areas, and warned of potential flooding.
Firefighters in the state said they were making the most of the "benign conditions" of rain and cooler temperatures to try to tackle the remaining bushfires. Some 75 fires were still burning in the state on Saturday, down from well over 100 a few days ago.
"Rain continues to fall across a number of firegrounds, however the Far South Coast and along the border are still yet to receive any moisture," the Rural Fire Service said on Twitter.