Rain here to stay as floods take toll
AS flood-ravaged areas in NSW and Queensland continue to recover from unprecedented levels of rain, it appears the wet weather is likely to continue.
Minister for Emergency Services for New South Wales Steph Cooke said this week’s wild weather was just the beginning of another wet spring and summer season.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned more residents would be urged to evacuate over coming days as 100km/h winds and heavy rainfall hit the state.
“We’re in for a long spring and summer in relation to wet weather conditions,” Ms Cooke said. “Our dams are full to overflowing. Our rivers are full. They are at capacity. And our ground is saturated.
“We are asking on that basis for people to please stay informed.”
Over the past 24 hours, widespread totals of up to 50mm of rain were captured across western and centralwestern slopes.
Along the coast, another 50mm-70mm of rain fell, with some areas copping levels above 100mm.
NSW SES was directing people in low-lying farmland in Agnes Banks near Richmond to evacuate before 5pm on Sunday.
Residents of the Western Plains Tourist Park, in Dubbo and Gronos Point, northwest of Sydney were ordered to evacuate on Sunday morning.
Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman Jane Golding said that the state can expect a couple of days of relief for the start of the week, but more is due to come.
“We should see a couple of days of fine weather for the most part but flooding will remain for the next few days,” she said.
“Unfortunately, this is the time of the year we see a series of fronts move through New South Wales and there is another one expected to come into the west of the state on Wednesday.”
The Australian Defence Force was called in to help with rescues across New South Wales as the state braces for more wild weather and flooding.
A low pressure system located just off the NSW central coast was due to deepen as it moved eastwards further off the coast throughout Sunday.
BOM senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said while heavy rainfall will ease by Monday, the worst is yet to come. “Although the rain will ease up from today, the worst is not over I am afraid,” he said.
“NSW will get a few dry days before another weather system just as bad hits the coastal areas on Wednesday.”
The NSW coastal town of Ulladulla has seen the biggest downpour in the past 24 hours with 110mm of rain with the Sydney metropolitan area receiving 40-60mm of rain.
Forecasters were predicting damaging winds, averaging 60 to 70km/h with peak gusts in excess of 90km/h along NSW’s east coast.
While the heavy rainfall was expected to ease, 80 flood warnings were still in place and a flood watch will remain in place for much of the state.
Three emergency orders were in place with emergency services most concerned about Bathurst, Mudgee, Dubbo, Canowindra, Nyngan, Narromine and Warren, in western NSW.
Emergency services responded to more than 600 requests for assistance and carried out 26 rescues.