Sydney flood threats, northern rivers drenched
Thunderstorms have drenched northern NSW, raising the threat of flooding to yet another area of the state.
More than 100 millimetres of rain fell within six hours on Friday at Moree, where moderate flooding is possible by Saturday night.
Meanwhile, western Sydney residents were warned to expect minor flooding to begin on the rising Hawkesbury-Nepean rivers on Friday.
Residents in several suburbs, including Windsor, Penrith, and North Richmond, have been told to monitor the conditions.
“This weather system is also likely to affect coastal catchments including the Wollombi Brook, Lower Hunter, Hawkesbury-Nepean and Colo rivers from early Friday into the weekend,” the weather bureau said in a warning early on Friday.
Tweet from @weatherzone
The Hawkesbury-Nepean region has already suffered two major floods this year.
The latest threat is exacerbated by widespread showers and moderate falls, mostly about the slopes and ranges, forecast for Friday.
Severe thunderstorms were possible on the western slopes and parts of the state’s north-east, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
“We have that very humid air mass over eastern NSW at the moment. We are expecting to see thunderstorms on Friday, Saturday and into the new week,” Helen Reed, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said.
“It’s hard to say if we’re going to see huge rainfall figures, it’s such a dynamic system we have coming through. The rainfall could be quite sizeable if we get those thunderstorms coming through,” she said.
All of eastern NSW faces the threat of potential heavy rain and thunderstorms, driven by the same weather system that has brought wild weather to Victoria and Queensland.
“All that moisture can still lift and go anywhere in the state, there’s [the] possibility of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall across the eastern part of the state,” Ms Reed said.
Overnight on Thursday, the NSW SES carried out six flood rescues and received 190 requests for help.
“There are currently minor flood watch warnings in Sydney metropolitan area, for the Hawkesbury and Colo river systems, which may see renewed flooding from the predicted low-pressure system this weekend,” it said on Friday morning.
“As we head into a wet weekend, we are encouraging the community to plan ahead, stay informed and stay away from floodwaters.
“There is a lot of water out there. Stay away from creeks and rivers. If you come across flash flooding, seek refuge in the highest possible place and call triple zero if you need rescuing.”
Tweet from @NSWSES
There is already major flooding in the Brewarrina shire, Warren, far western town Tilpa and along the Murray.
Moama, the sister town to Victoria’s Echuca, has been the focus of the flood threat in recent days.
The river passed major flood levels late on Wednesday night and continues to slowly rise towards the 94.77-metre height of a 1993 flood, the area’s second-worst on record.
The bureau expects it to reach about 95 metres next week, still below the 96.2-metre height of its worst flood in 1870.
Hundreds of people have been ordered to evacuate Moama and surrounds this week.
The flooding threat came as the NSW government pressed the federal government to share funding for the proposed $1.6 billion raising of the Warragamba Dam on a tributary of the Nepean River.
“This is an important project for the protection of property and lives in western Sydney,” NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet told 2GB on Friday.
-with AAP