雅虎香港電視

Chronic drought in New South Wales and large parts of Queensland has put the clock ticking on water supplies in a number of towns and communities across the region.

Stephanie Hunt shot this footage near Armidale while on a flight from Sydney. “I saw the extent of the drought from the air. Looking out the window, the landscape below resembled desert in the Middle East,” Hunt, a journalist with Storyful, said.

Armidale Regional Council’s general business manager Scot MacDonald told local media recently, “We are one of the largest cities facing a Day Zero.” The council area has around 400 days of water left, the Armidale Express said.

The Bureau of Meteorology has recorded rainfall deficiencies in New South Wales and southern Queensland over the last 17 months, with several areas having their lowest-ever rainfalls. New South Wales is experiencing near total drought conditions, with Queensland reporting two-thirds of its area to be in drought.

Farmers in the Armidale area are paying almost double pre-drought prices to bring in drinking water, according to a report by Reuters. Credit: Stephanie Hunt via Storyful