Storm leaves trail of damage in Australia

A major storm has left a trail of damage across the state of Victoria in Australia, flooding towns and prompting evacuations.

Authorities recorded 180-millimeters of rain in one part of the region. The deluge caused rivers to breach their levies, inundating hundreds of houses in northern Victorian towns.

Many people had to leave their homes and spend the night in higher ground. But some remained behind using sandbags to block flood waters from entering their houses.

"It started building up across the road we thought nothing of it, then it just started coming and coming as you can see it is coming to the front of the house," one man said.

Strong winds uprooted trees across the state and falling branches damaged cars. Conditions are expected to ease later in the day.