Afternoon Update: PM’s climate warning; Coalition on track to reunite; and New Zealand’s moose mystery

A major clean-up is under way in Taree in NSW, where a record deluge has inundated the Manning river. Photograph: Dean Sewell/ Oculi/The Guardian

Welcome, readers, to the Afternoon Update.

Anthony Albanese has warned extreme weather events such as the New South Wales floods are becoming more frequent and intense in Australia, after three days of devastating rain and winds have so far left four people dead and at least one person still missing.

“You are not alone,” was the message from the prime minister on Friday, as he travelled up to Maitland from Canberra to better grasp the scale of the massive flooding and the required emergency response.

“Tragically, we’re seeing more extreme weather events. They’re occurring more frequently, and they’re more intense,” Albanese said.

An Australian defence force helicopter had been involved in more than a dozen rescues. More ADF personnel would be deployed if required, Albanese said.

Heavy rainfall across Sydney meanwhile caused chaos on roads and railways, as transport authorities urged festival goers to avoid the opening of Vivid festival on Friday night and instead attend “early next week”. And severe weather warnings remained in place for southern NSW as the system moved towards the Victorian border.

Top news

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• World’s seven wealthiest countries agree to counter China’s trade practices

• Trump’s evidence of South Africa ‘white genocide’ contains images from Democratic Republic of Congo

• Kneecap say terror charge is part of ‘witch-hunt’ to prevent Glastonbury gig

In pictures

Satellite images have revealed the extent of a navy shipyard accident in North Korea that resulted in serious damage to a warship and infuriated the country’s leader Kim Jong-un.

What they said …

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“There are bigger issues facing rural and regional Australians than the makeup of the Coalition.”

The Nationals MP Darren Chester acknowledged it was “frustrating” for the opposition to be bickering among themselves as regional and rural areas battle floods and droughts – hours before an in-principle policy deal with the Liberals was revealed on Friday afternoon.

In numbers

That figure is one-third higher than the almost 1,800 properties put to market last week, and marks the busiest week for auctions in more than a month.

Before bed read

Claims of a recent sighting of moose roaming New Zealand’s Fiordland wilderness have reignited public fascination in a story that has endured for decades. But without photographic evidence, the country’s conservation department is sceptical they are still out there. Eva Corlett joins the search for New Zealand’s Nessie.

Daily word game

Today’s starter word is: PUP. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

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