Communities that have already been ravaged by floods are bracing for “potentially life-threatening” quantities of rain as widespread downpours and thunderstorms impact eastern Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of massive rainfall across the east coast on Sunday, which may persist until mid-week as wet weather systems combine.

“The low pressure system may continue to affect the northern and central coasts of NSW on Monday and Tuesday with the threat of widespread heavy rainfall, gusty winds and large waves, as well as potential flash flooding and riverine flooding,” said a BOM update late Saturday.

“Severe thunderstorms have the potential to produce heavy to locally intense rainfall, causing significant flash flooding, likely road closures and a risk to life and property.

“Damaging wind gusts and large hail are also possible with thunderstorms, and may result in damage to buildings, vehicles and property.”

It comes as the Victorian border town of Echuca is experiencing its worst flooding in decades as the Murray River rose above the 1993 peak.

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NSW to cop more rain

A low pressure system bringing heavy rainfall is expected to move down from south-east Qld into north-east NSW on Sunday, affecting Lismore, Grafton, Casino, Kyogle, Yamba and Maclean.

Communities in NSW’s Northern Rivers region are again on flood watch with falls of up to 150mm in six hours possible and 300mm over 24 hours.

More than 100 flood warnings were current around the state on Saturday night.

Rain, showers and thunderstorms are forecast across much of NSW, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania in coming days as a series of troughs make their way across south-eastern Australia.

Many catchments remain under flood warnings, and upcoming rain will likely cause renewed or prolonged flooding.

Flood watches are current for Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania and further flood watches and warnings will be issued in the coming days as rivers respond to rainfall and flooding develops.

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Meanwhile heavy rainfall in Brisbane was expected to increase overnight Saturday and peak on Sunday morning.

It comes after a coastal trough brought heavy rainfall and thunderstorms to the northern Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay areas of Queensland overnight, with isolated falls of close to 300mm.

The NSW SES said residents, especially those who have been flooded in the past, should prepare.

“While the current predictions are not as severe as earlier this year, low lying areas are still likely to be impacted,” incident controller Tom Jory said in a statement on Saturday.

NSW Police said a man in his 30s had died in a suspected drowning on Saturday morning at West Ballina in the state’s far north coast.

In the south, emergency warnings were in place for parts of Narrandera while residents in areas of Gunnedah in the state’s north were ordered to evacuate.

Warnings were also in place for Moree and Carroll Village.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said large parts of the state, including the inland and west, were in for a “difficult few days”.

Emergency services are preparing for a busy weekend as the wild weather arrives, with volunteers handing out 30,000 sandbags a day.

“We are quite literally sandbagging the state,” Ms Cooke said on Saturday.

Two hundred defence personnel are being deployed in Dubbo, Moree and the Northern Rivers, with two more Australian Defence Force helicopters coming online ready for night rescues.

Specialist swift-water rescue crews have also been dispatched to the flood-threatened north while others are in place at Dubbo.

The 12 local government areas added to the state’s natural disaster declaration list are Albury, Berrigan, Carrathool, Cobar, Federation, Griffith, Hay, Leeton, Murray River, Murrumbidgee, Narrandera and Wagga Wagga.

Echuca surpasses 1993 level

The Victorian border town of Echuca is experiencing its worst flooding in decades as the Murray River rose above the 1993 peak.

The river surpassed the 1993 level of 94.77m above sea level at the town on the Victoria-NSW border on Saturday night and was expected to peak around 95m overnight.

More rain is forecast for the flood-hit state, with a low pressure system predicted to move over northern Victoria on Sunday.

The state’s northeast and far northwest was tipped to cop the brunt of the falls and the Bureau of Meteorology predicts the system will bring wet weather to southern Victoria early in the week.

At Echuca, water was spilling over a levee near the centre of town on Saturday, with authorities warning anyone left in the area to leave while they can.

“We don’t want to be rescuing people. Our strongest message is evacuate now,” SES Victoria’s Tim Wiebusch told reporters on Saturday.

Sandbagging on the Campaspe Esplanade in Echuca, Victoria. Photo: AAP

More than 70 flood warnings have been issued around the state.
Kerang residents were advised to evacuate amid fears flood water might not recede for a month or more.

“We’ve got water coming in from everywhere,” Gannawarra Shire Mayor Charlie Gillingham said on Saturday.

A major flood warning was issued for the Loddon River Loddon Weir to Kerang area on Saturday night.

Meanwhile in the state’s southwest the SES received about 140 requests for help from Geelong to Hamilton.
Three people were rescued after driving through floodwaters near Geelong.

The SES has received more than 8300 calls for help since the weather emergency began and more than 750 flood-related rescue requests.

ADF personnel have been deployed to assist with preparation including sandbagging at Barmah, along the Murray River and Swan Hill.

Flood warnings remain for towns along the Loddon, Goulburn, Campaspe and Avoca rivers.

-with AAP