Victoria, NSW and Tasmania experience flood emergency with thousands told to evacuate

The Maribyrnong River has burst its banks in Melbourne, Forbes and Wagga Wagga residents have fled in NSW and rainfall records have been broken in Tasmania

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Thousands of residents have been told to evacuate as eastern Australia faces a flooding emergency, with people told to leave their homes in parts of Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.

Major to record flooding is occurring or forecast on many rivers across Victoria and Tasmania," the Bureau of Meteorology said on Friday afternoon. Moderate to major flooding is still occurring along a number of rivers in inland New South Wales."