Worst could be yet to come for flood-hit areas – as it happened

Lismore residents inspect a flooded road. Evacuation orders have been issued for towns across northern NSW, with flash flooding expected as heavy rainfall continues Photograph: Dan Peled/Getty Images

9.11am BST

What we learned today, Wednesday 30 March

That’s where we’ll leave this blog for today. Thanks for reading. Here are the main stories of the day:

• Disastrous floods described as “Noah’s Ark stuff” continue to devastate northern NSW, with rivers in Lismore expected to peak at 12 metres on Wednesday night and authorities warning the worst could be yet to come in the next 24 hours.
• Scott Morrison labelled an ‘autocrat and bully who has no moral compass’ by the veteran Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.
• Pauline Hanson claims Morrison also bullied her.
• The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, promises a cash splash for households with billions on offer in the federal budget.
  
• The federal election will not be called in coming days, Morrison says.
• Crowds flock to the MCG for the memorial service of Shane Warne. Follow our live blog here:

Updated at 9.18am BST

9.05am BST

NSW police have named the woman missing in Lismore as Anita Brakel, and released her image. She was reported to have been trapped in her car in flood waters about 9.50pm on Tuesday, but has not been seen since.

JUST IN: The woman missing in floodwaters, south of #Lismore, has been named as Anita Brakel - a 55-year-old aged care nurse.

A search began just before 10pm last night - she was in a white Holden Captiva at the time. #9News pic.twitter.com/KzkLi0DEdc

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) March 30, 2022

Updated at 9.07am BST