Western Australia in grip of 'devastating' flood emergency, Australia PM says

A view of flooding in Fitzroy Crossing, Australia January 3, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Callum Lamond/via REUTERS

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday his government was ready to provide whatever support was needed to residents of Western Australia state as record-breaking floods isolated far-flung communities there.

The crisis in the Kimberley - an area almost three times the size of the United Kingdom - was sparked this week by severe weather system Ellie, a former tropical cyclone that brought heavy rain to the vast region.