Woman killed as floods return to Australia

Flash floods swept through a north-eastern Australian community today, killing one woman, trapping others in cars and leaving some clinging to trees as relentless rains brought more misery to a region battling its worst flooding in decades.

The raging torrent of muddy water swamped the city of Toowoomba, west of the state capital Brisbane, killing one female pedestrian, a Queensland state police spokeswoman said.