Heavy rains in Australia's east bring more pain to storm-hit residents

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Heavy rains lashed parts of Australia's east on Monday, triggering flash flooding, inundating roads and bringing more pain for some residents reeling after the intense thunderstorms that hit the region over the Christmas holidays.

The northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland regions were pounded by a wild weather system overnight, with several towns taking roughly a month's rainfall over 24 hours to Monday morning.