emirates7 - Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, closed on Tuesday after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.

Beaches around Port Macquarie, around 400 km (250 miles) north of Sydney, were shut after ‌a man was bitten while surfing on Monday. He remains in hospital in a stable condition, health authorities said.

Also on Monday, a 10-year-old boy ‍escaped unharmed after a shark ‌knocked him off his surfboard and bit a ‌chunk out of it, while a day earlier, another boy was left in critical condition after being bitten at a city beach.

All beaches in the Northern Beaches, a council area straddling Sydney's northern coastline, will remain closed until further notice, police said.