Australian woman feared missing in Nepal flood makes contact as disaster worsens

Australian authorities are urgently trying to reach a woman who made contact with family after surviving catastrophic flooding on the Nepal-China border.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is engaging with local authorities on plans to assist the woman, who is understood to have been last reported in a remote area several days' hike from Kathmandu.

At least 38 Australians remain missing after an ice avalanche on Wednesday triggered Nepal's worst natural disaster in more than a decade.

Heavy continued rainfall is making rescue conditions difficult and unpredictable.

Further severe flooding, landslides and debris flows are predicted in the affected areas of Nepal and Tibet while a lake formed by the landslide has started to overflow.

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At least 538 people have died, Nepalese authorities said, while almost 1,000 remain missing.

Australian woman Sumi Adhikari was on a pilgrimage on the China-Nepal border when the catastrophic flash flooding hit.

Her husband Kailash Mansowar, who has not heard from her since, has travelled to the region from Sydney to find her, guided only by her iPhone's last location.

"I am here in Nepal now (since) yesterday and working with local authorities to find further information," he told the Australian Associated Press (AAP) on Friday.

Like many missing Australians, Adhikari was undertaking a group tour, in her case with the Isha Foundation.

She left Kathmandu on 14 August after flying from Sydney to trek to a sacred site near Tibet's Mount Kailash.

"Even the smallest piece of information could help bring her home," a widely shared post on social media announcing her disappearance reads.

A separate group of 15 Australians, including two boys aged 11 and 14, were travelling with US-based tourism operator Himalayan Glacier Adventure and Travel Company.