INTERNATIONAL: Torrential rain that flooded towns on Australia's east coast eased on Friday 1st April as clean-up operations began.

Water levels are gradually receding in the worst-hit towns with some residents returning to their homes to take stock of the damage, though more than 20,000 people remain under evacuation orders, emergency services said.

Tens of thousands of people had to flee from their homes this week for the second time in a month, after relentless rains triggered flash floods and rivers burst their banks.

The death toll from the rains that began early this week rose to three on Friday after a 55-year-old woman who had gone missing in floodwaters in northern New South Wales was found dead, police said.

Shop Owner, Alex Jackson:

"I feel okay, I felt a little bit like, oh my god again, but I think now I've come back into town and seen how the water was not so high, it's kind of refreshing in a way because you know the last four weeks have just been painting the walls and trying to get it all happening again, and I was actually going to be opening yesterday but now I might open on Monday."