Sydney weather: Ominous storm strikes Sydney bringing dangerous rain and flood threats to NSW

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A colossal rain bomb has hit Sydney bringing threats of major flooding and storms, after residents were told to prepare for a ‘tough night’ ahead and thousands were urged to evacuate their homes. 

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned the wet weather system will bring the risk of heavy rain, damaging winds, abnormally high tides and possible coastal erosion. 

Deputy Premier Paul O’Toole said wet conditions in NSW were going to get worse before they got better with the heavy deluge to last well into Thursday. 

‘This is our worst fear. We are seeing the situation get worse. And it will get worse before it gets better,’ Mr O’Toole said during a briefing on Wednesday evening. 

‘If you were affected by floods in March of 2021, then you are asked to leave your home now. This is going to be a tough night for residents in that area. This is going to be a tough night for people here in NSW.’  

A major flood warning was issued on Wednesday afternoon for the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers in the city’s west and north-west, where residents are already on high alert for deadly floods. 

BoM has issued severe weather warnings from the Mid-North Coast to the South Coast on Wednesday – covering Gosford, Greater Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle and parts of the Blue Mountains. 

‘Severe thunderstorms are possible across the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands on Wednesday through to Friday and possibly into the weekend,’ a weather update said. 

A Flood Watch remains for Hunter, Central Coast, Greater Sydney, Illawarra, South Coast and Queanbeyan areas as heavy rain continues to hammer the state. 

Thursday morning is forecast to be a period of major concern for residents and SES workers as a band of intense rain combines with a low pressure system. 

While rain is set to ease on Friday, blue skies in Sydney remain out of the question, with another wet weather system forecast for the weekend.  

The NSW State Emergency Service have released multiple evacuation warnings for the Hawkesbury-Nepean River System including parts of north and west Penrith and the eastern part of the Richmond lowlands. 

‘Falls of 100-300mm over the next 24 to 48 hours are possible, which may impact communities in metropolitan areas, Illawarra and parts of Mid North Coast, Hunter, South Coast, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands,’ an BoM update stated. 

The SES has directed people in Georges Hall and parts of Chipping Norton, Lansvale, Milperra, Moorebank and Warwick Farm to leave their homes by 3am. 

It comes as the body of a man aged in his 70s was found in a flooded unit on Cromer Street, South Lismore just after 2pm on Wednesday.

He is yet to be formally identified and is the fourth person to die in Lismore from the floods in recent days.

It comes as loved ones paid tribute to another victim identified as grandfather Stuart Bock, 56, whose body was found floating in the Lismore CBD on Wednesday morning.

Mr Bock’s family and friends had spent three agonising days searching for him after he selflessly ventured into town to help with sandbagging at a local pub.

His daughter thanked those who had helped search for her father, who’d been missing since Sunday afternoon. 

‘To everyone who has helped in the search of our dad and has been reaching out, unfortunately we have identified his body. He was swept away in the flood waters in Lismore on Sunday afternoon around 4.30pm,’ she wrote on Facebook. 

Two women aged in their 80s were also found dead inside their homes after they were overrun by floodwaters.

One of the victims has been identified as much-loved Lismore country singer Marge Graham, 82, who was found in her South Lismore home on Tuesday.

The other woman was identified as Lorraine Hyman, 84, who died in her home in Lismore. 

There are fears the bodies of more trapped residents will be found on Wednesday as the massive clean up effort continues.  

The first evacuations began in the city’s south-west with parts of Milperra, Chipping Norton and Lansvale ordered to leave immediately as the Georges River rises.   

The river is expected to reach moderate flood levels at Milperra and Liverpool by Thursday morning with the State Emergency Service (SES) advising rising waters from the Georges River ‘may isolate the area’.

‘You may be trapped without power, water and other essential services and it may be too dangerous to rescue you,’ the alert read.

Residents in Picton south-west of Sydney were also urged to get ready to leave. 

The SES has issued a warning for residents in low lying areas of Woronora to prepare to evacuate from at least 15 suburban streets. 

Homeowners have been asked to prepare to evacuate or risk being trapped without electricity, essential services or water by rising floodwaters. 

BoM forecaster Dean Narramore said about 50mm to 150mm would hit some parts of Sydney, where the ground was already saturated: ‘The water has nowhere to go except for creeks, rivers, streams, eventually dams and major river systems through eastern parts of New South Wales.’ 

Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said: ‘While we’re all hoping for the very best, we must be prepared for the worst.’

Mr O’Toole said 600 gigalitres of water was going over the wall of the Redbank Dam in North Richmond – which officials expect to fail.

The extreme weather system is due to rain down somewhere between Wollongong and Newcastle on NSW’s South Coast before dawn on Thursday. 

The incessant rain is set to hit already saturated ground across Sydney, the Illawarra, the Central Coast and perhaps the Hunter. 

The Illawarra Highway has been closed in both directions at Macquarie Pass, a section of the road with a lot of waterfalls, with 282m falling from 9am to 5pm.   

SES Commissioner Carlene York said several hundred thousand people would be affected by the heavy rainfall and said she didn’t want any more lives lost. 

‘You don’t have to evacuate straight away. But you must prepare,’ she said. ‘We’re trying to give you as much notice as possible so you can evacuate.’ 

Ms York said evacuation centres would provide temporary assistance to those affected by floods and asked people to make ‘sensible decisions’.   

‘I also must caution you that this is an intense rainfall and we have seen record levels that we haven’t seen in the recorded history,’ she said.

‘So even though your street may not be mentioned in some of these alerts, just be aware that the waters may rise in other areas and be alert and be prepared.’ 

‘We know in realistic terms we may see more loss of life over the coming days,’ deputy premier Paul O’Toole said. This is a catastrophic event.’ 

Residents in the low lying areas of Penrith and the Hawkesbury are also on high alert and preparing to leave, just 12 months after floods devastated the region.

Major flooding ‘similar to March 2021’ have been warned for both catchments.

The BoM have issued a Road Weather Alert for those commuting in Sydney on Wednesday and Thursday and have urged drivers to take care on the roads. 

‘Take EXTREME care if you need to drive. Flooded roads are very difficult to see particularly at night,’ the bureau warned. 

‘The depth and speed of water is also difficult to judge – if it’s flooded, forget it. We also have a risk of landslides and trees coming down.’

Streets are already underwater in Richmond while in nearby Penrith, residents were pictured sandbagging their homes in preparation of the imminent danger.

The Yarramundi Bridge is closed with the North Richmond Bridge expected to close on Wednesday night or Thursday morning, Hawkesbury mayor Patrick Connoly said.

Windsor Bridge could close in the coming days. 

South-west of Sydney, residents in the Picton CBD are preparing to evacuate.

‘Once floodwaters begin to rise in Stonequarry Creek, you will see flooding of roads, sewerage lines and power may be lost, and properties may be inundated,’ SES warned.

‘If you remain in the area you may become trapped and it may be too dangerous for SES to rescue you.’

Authorities have declared the next 24 hours as ‘absolutely critical’ as NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet described the evolving emergency as an unprecedented situation.

He urged residents issued with evacuation orders to act immediately.

‘We have volunteers on the frontline putting their lives at risk to keep people safe,’ he said.

‘So please everyone as these floods move through from the north to the south, we follow those instructions, those evacuation warnings if they are in place, prepare, please get ready to leave.’  

‘Don’t have your past experience with floods inform your current position when those orders are made.

‘Those orders are there to keep you and your family safe. Please follow those instructions and that will ensure we all get through this together.’

Ms Cooke, the emergency services minister, added: ‘Sydney as we know, is on high alert right now and to everyone in that Sydney region, we ask you please, keep an eye on the BOM warnings, keep an eye on the evacuation warnings if they are issued which may escalate into evacuation orders.’

Minor flooding is occurring at Penrith and North Richmond while major flooding is possible along the Hawkesbury and Lower Nepean River at Penrith, North Richmond and Windsor.

‘The river heights may affect the bridges later this afternoon,’ Hawkesbury SES posted.

‘Residents and businesses, in low-lying areas along these river systems and adjoining creeks, should be ready to evacuate, if requested. Ensure you take pets and valuables with you.

‘Horses and livestock should be relocated to higher ground.’ 

Closer to the city, business owners are also relying on sandbags to protect their premises from potential flash flooding in Marrickville.

It comes after Sydney’s Warragamba Dam began spilling early Wednesday morning, which could continue for up to two weeks. 

Localised storms could result in life-threatening flooding events.

‘Recent rainfall over the Nepean and Hawkesbury River catchments and a deepening East Coast Low is bringing heavy rainfall from Wednesday with the potential to cause major flooding along the Nepean and and Hawkesbury Rivers.

‘River level rises are occurring along the Nepean River where major flooding is possible from Wednesday afternoon.

Along the Hawkesbury major flooding is possible from overnight Wednesday into Thursday at Penrith, North Richmond and Windsor based on forecast rainfall.’

There are fears the flooding could be as bad as last year’s disaster.

‘We are expecting this might be as bad as we saw last year,’ NSW State Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York said.

‘We know the devastation that caused in the community. And what we don’t want to do is lose any more lives. The best way to save lives is to be prepared and listen to warnings.’ 

Dozens of roads have been closed across city’s north-west and south-west, including Pitt Town Road near Glebe Road at Pitt Town, Cattai Ridge Road at Glenorie and Joadja Road at Cartwright near Liverpool. 

Up to 250mm of rain is expected over the ranges and Sydney‘s outskirts over the next two days with lighter falls near the coast.

Up to 120mm was expected over a six hour period with flash flooding a possibility between from Sydney down to Bega, on the state’s south coast. 

BOM has issued flood warnings from the Hunter right down towards the Victorian border,’ he said.

Forecaster Helen Kirkup told Daily Mail Australia: ‘There is a significant amount of rain at the moment with most of it in Sydney’s west.’

‘The coastal areas may miss out on the worst of it. But there is still quite a lot of rain which will continue through to tomorrow morning.’

The worst of the rain is expected to fall between lunchtime and 6pm Wednesday night.

‘The wettest areas will be away from the coast,’ Weatherzone’s Brett Dutschke told Daily Mail Australia.

‘The rain will ease overnight with the potential of heavy bursts inland.’ 

‘Today’s going to be probably the hardest day in Lismore’s history to be honest with you,’ Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said.

‘Today’s all about rescue and recovery.’ 

The flood crisis in northern NSW continues with thousands of Ballina residents forced to evacuate, including hospital patients.

The entire town is on evacuation alert after the Richmond River burst its banks. 

Dangerous weather conditions are expected all the way from south of Newcastle in the Hunter to north of Eden on the South Coast and reach inland as far as the Blue Mountains.   

Penrith in Sydney’s west has copped a 67.8mm drenching in the 24 hours up until 8.30am Wednesday with more rain on the way. 

Other hard hit suburbs included Holsworthy (66.8mm), Lucas Heights (54.7mm), Terrey Hills (44.6mm) and Camden (44.4mm).

Warragamba Dam was at 99 per cent capacity on Tuesday and began spilling 3am Wednesday. 

The predicted spill rate is up to 250 gigalitres a day in the coming weeks, roughly half the amount leaked during the floods that devastated western Sydney 12 months ago.

‘The spill rate will ultimately be determined by the intensity of the rainfall and the inflow generated,’ WaterNSW said.

‘Nonetheless downstream river level increases are likely and will also be influenced by the volume of inflows from tributaries downstream of the dam.’

Western Sydney minister Stuart Ayres told 2GB: ‘The water inflows into the dam are not as high as first anticipated so that is a good sign.’

‘But it is incredibly dependent on where the rainfall actually takes place.’

The State Emergency Service (SES) has warned residents in inner-city Marrickville of potential flash flooding for a second time within a week.

Several roads have been closed due to overnight rain, including Wakehurst Parkway between Narrabeen and Oxford Falls on the northern beaches and Cambridge Avenue at Glenfield in the city’s south-west. 

 One of two northbound lanes of the Princes Highway at Kiama on the NSW south coast has been shut due to a landslide.

There are dangerous surf conditions along the the coast with surfers, swimmers, boaters and rock fishermen urged to stay away.

BoM has also warned of abnormal tides and widespread coastal erosion along much of the NSW coast. 

Thunderstorms with damaging winds and heavy to torrential rain may also lead to flash flooding along the length of the coast from the Hunter down to Bega on the south coast, combined with severe warnings of abnormally high tides and damaging surf.

Sydneysiders have been urged to stay home and not commute to work.

‘Our number one priority is safety. Motorists should exercise extreme caution and never drive through floodwaters,’ Transport for NSW boss Howard Collins said.

‘We ask our customers to postpone their journey if possible or to allow plenty of additional travel time. We want to ensure everyone arrives at their destination safely.’

There have been no issues so far with Sydney Trains during the morning commute. 

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasted as much as 120mm of rain, which could lead to flash flooding, may fall across these areas over a six hour period early on Wednesday morning.

A total of 200mm of rainfall is possible in Sydney on Wednesday alone, followed by a further 20 to 45mm on Thursday.

Damaging winds of up to 90km/h are also forecast for the NSW coast from Wednesday while damaging surf conditions and abnormally high tides are also on the horizon for areas south of Forster. . 

The Ballina Hospital was forced to evacuate its staff and patients to a nearby high school as flood waters rapidly rose higher. 

Fifty-five patients from the hospital were moved to the Xavier Catholic College where a makeshift emergency department is being set up for any others needing urgent care.