The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) is braced for severe wet weather this weekend as downpours ease the bushfire crisis in the region, reports BBC.

Severe weather warnings for rain, winds and flooding have been issued for coastal areas of the eastern state.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned of “dangerous conditions” on Saturday and Sunday.

There has already been flooding in Sydney and other areas along the coast.

Friday was the wettest day recorded in well over a year in Sydney, where roads were closed and public transport delayed.

Other NSW towns faced flood waters as well, including Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour, where 280mm and 250mm of rain fell respectively.

The heavy rains are expected to continue until early next week, providing relief to some drought and fire-ravaged areas.

The State Emergency Service in New South Wales advised residents to leave low-lying areas “well before flash flooding begins” but “only if it is safe to do so”.

Nationally, blazes have killed at least 33 people and destroyed thousands of homes. More than 11 million hectares of land – an area comparable to the size of England – has been scorched.