Wild weather to hit Sydney after pummelling NSW coast
Stormy weekend weather will add to flood risk in NSW after Sydney broke its annual rainfall record. Photo: AAP
A coastal low is bringing damaging winds, monster swell and heavy rainfall from the Hunter to the South Coast of NSW, with the wild weather expected to peak in Sydney on Monday afternoon.
Since Sunday night, the NSW State Emergency Service said it had responded to 199 calls for help in the Sydney region, and almost 600 statewide.
The dangerous low-pressure system formed off the Illawarra coast on Sunday and brought gusts of up to 90km/h in some places.
“Near the Sydney coast, wind gusts are already 40km/h but they’re going to reach a coastal high of 50-60km/h,” Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Shuang Wang forecasted.
Bellambi in Wollongong had a gust of 91km/h at 1am on Monday, while Kiama on the state’s South Coast recorded the same at 1.41am.
Sydney’s Observatory Hill clocked about 72 millimetres of rainfall from 9am Sunday, while Sydney’s Olympic Park had 76.2 millimetres.
In the Sydney basin, Wahroonga received 114 millimetres, while Prospect, south-west of Blacktown, received 101 millimetres.
Elsewhere, Nords Wharf had top falls since 9am Sunday, with 187.5 millimetres falling in the Lake Macquarie suburb.
Jervis Bay had 178.6 millimetres of rain, while Wyee on the Central Coast has received 167.5 millimetres.
Very heavy surf conditions were pummelling the east coast on Monday, with fears of coastal erosion reignited as at least 18 Wamberal homes remain damaged from last week’s wild weather.
Concrete blocks are winched in to help halt erosion at Wamberal. Photo: AAP
Residents watched on nervously as workers from the Central Coast council piled up about 150 rock-filled bags to stop the erosion from the wild seas.
A hazardous surf warning applies from the South Coast to Newcastle, and the BOM discouraged anyone from entering the swell.
“Beach conditions in these areas could be dangerous and people should stay well away from the surf and surf exposed areas,” the bureau said.
Heavy rainfall and flash flooding also hit Newcastle on Sunday, with 10 people rescued from a bus that became submerged in floodwaters on Callaghan Drive.
The SES has warned the Hawkesbury might experience flash flooding also, while the Illawarra and South Coast regions are on high flood alert.
The BOM said locations that might be affected include Sydney, Wollongong, Nowra, Bowral, Batemans Bay and Eden.
Damaging wind gusts over the Southern Highlands and the coastal ranges of South Coast are also possible.
Buses replaced F1 Manly ferry services between Circular Quay and Manly on Monday morning due to the weather conditions.
Trains were also suspended on the South Coast Line between Wollongong and Port Kembla on Monday, and replaced by buses due to flooding.
The dangerous low-pressure system is expected to ease later on Monday or early on Tuesday.