NSW, Queensland floods as it happened: Death confirmed in northeastern NSW as Premier warns ‘worst is yet to come’; Sydney on high alert for torrential rain

That's all for today, thanks for reading our live coverage. Here's a summary of the headlines:

• Sydney is bracing for "extreme" rainfall overnight tonight and tomorrow when an east coast low makes landfall, as local flood warnings are upgraded. Up to 200mm of rain could fall in a six-hour "rain bomb" burst overnight in some areas between Newcastle and Eden on the South Coast. Sydney's Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers could reach major flood levels, depending on where the bulk of the rain falls. Forecasters say it's tricky to predict exactly where the worst falls will occur. Residents are on edge in these areas, with the memories still fresh from last March's catastrophic floods in the city's north-west.
• Residents in Ballina and Lennox Head were ordered to evacuate this afternoon and evening as the towns are expected to be inundated tonight. Ballina Hospital was also evacuated. Specialist rescue teams are being deployed in Lismore to find and recover victims. And among those who survived, nerves are fraying as the enormity of the disaster begins to sink in.
• The national flood death toll rose to 11 today after a ninth body in Queensland was recovered, and a second body in NSW was found. An unknown number of other people are still missing. In NSW, 41,000 people are subject to an evacuation order as of Tuesday night. The figure is 20,000 in Queensland. There have been more than 4000 people rescued in the Lismore region alone as emergency services are overwhelmed by the demand.
• NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet stressed the “unprecedented” nature of the storm, describing it as a “one in 1000-year” event, while Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state received 80 per cent of its annual rainfall within three days. The federal government has paid out more than $3 million in disaster payments.
• There are several major roads closed in northern NSW, including the M1 Pacific Motorway close to the Queensland border. Other routes closed include the Pacific Highway (as distinct from the motorway), the Bruxner Highway, Bangalow Road and Waterfall Way.

We'll be back bright and early tomorrow, so stay tuned. Goodnight.

Local heroes rescue those in need.Credit: Elise Derwin

Northern NSW Local Health District is evacuating Ballina Hospital due to rising floodwaters.

A makeshift emergency department is being set up at Xavier Catholic College for anyone requiring emergency care while the hospital is temporarily closed.

Ballina in northern NSW has been hit by the latest floods.Credit: Sydney Morning Herald

The hospital has 55 general medical and rehabilitation patients, who are being relocated to Xavier Catholic College through NSW Ambulance and transport organised by the NSW State Emergency Service. Extra health staff have been called in to help transfer the patients, whose families have been contacted.

An SMS is being sent to the local community to alert them of the evacuation and the temporary hospital closure. Further updates will be provided as soon as possible.

The evacuation is happening after advice from the local police commander and to protect the health and safety of patients and staff, the health district said.

There are several major roads closed in NSW tonight due to flooding – either because the roads are underwater or they have been damaged by the floods.

Road closures:

• The M1 Pacific Motorway in both directions between Cudgera Creek and Tweed Heads. Northbound lanes closed between Bangalow and Ewingsdale (traffic diverted onto Hinterland Way to travel towards Byron Bay, or turnaround. Only local traffic allowed north of Ewingsdale).
• The Bruxner Highway between Casino and South Lismore, between Tenterfield and Mallanganee, and between West Ballina and Uralba.
• The Pacific Highway in both directions between West Ballina and Glenugie
• Roads around Lismore CBD, including Dawson Street and Ballina Road
• Bangalow Road between Lismore and Bangalow
• Summerland Way between Casino and Grafton, and at Fairy Hill
• Big River Way between South Grafton and Clarenza, and Tyndale
• Solitary Islands Way at Corindi Beach
• Waterfall Way between Thora and Dorrigo Mountain

Other local roads are closed - check local council websites and social media sites for updates. Never drive through floodwater, follow emergency services' directions and take extreme care as conditions change fast.

For the latest traffic information, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

Here's the live weather radar for NSW.

Forecasters are expecting the east coast low to make landfall sometime overnight, so keep an eye on how it's tracking.

Residents in Sydney's north-west are still counting the cost of last year's horrific floods that engulfed the Hawkesbury region. That makes the prospect of major flooding returning 12 months later even less palatable.

One Windsor resident, who asked to remain anonymous because the media coverage last year was overwhelming, said she feels anxious thinking about rising river levels.

Flood-affected areas around Windsor and Pitt Town last March.Credit: Getty

"Sitting here right now we are a bit edgy," she said, although she said her "gut feeling" was this flood wouldn't exceed 2021 levels.

"It really depends on where that low comes through and where it dumps."

One thing that hasn't been possible since last year is moving house. Flood insurance – at $30,000 a year – is unaffordable, so residents have to take their chances.

"Financially we’re pretty screwed after last year," she said.

She said residents are frustrated with Water NSW for not discharging water from Warragamba Dam before the extreme weather.

"To them, it’s a water storage dam, not a flood mitigation dam. There's no pressure from anyone for them to release any water prior to these events happening. I don't know why they can’t release more know there's rain coming."

Another person has died in Queensland’s flood emergency, bringing the total to nine.

Police divers found the body of a 76-year-old man this morning, after he was reported missing in floodwater at Glen Esk near Lake Wivenhoe, west of Brisbane, on Sunday.

The man was located in his submerged vehicle at Paddy Gully Creek.

The 76-year-old man was found in his submerged vehicle at Paddy Gully Creek.

It takes the national flood death toll since last week to 11 fatalities, including two in NSW.

Read more here.

The State Emergency Service has ordered residents in low-lying parts of Lennox Head, near Ballina, to evacuate.

The areas include:

• Eastern side of Byron Bay Road, between Byron Street and Greenfield Road
• Properties on Lakeside Way
• Sailfish Avenue
• Snapper Drive
• Anchorage Avenue
• Western end of Outrigger Road
• Western end of Caloola Road
• Pintail Lane
• Hurtley Drive, south of Gradwell Drive

Our photographer Elise Derwin has filed some vivid imagery from Lismore in northern NSW, where record flooding put the town underwater.

Residents recover whatever goods they can.Credit: Elise Derwin

A submersed vehicle.Credit: Elise Derwin

Residents rescuing livestock.Credit: Elise Derwin

The Bureau of Meteorology has updated the flood warnings for NSW rivers.

Greater Sydney

• Upper Nepean River – moderate to major flooding
• Hawkesbury and Lower Nepean Rivers – minor to major flooding
• Colo River – minor flooding
• Cooks River – minor flooding
• Georges and Woronora Rivers – minor to major flooding

Illawarra and South Coast

• Shoalhaven River – moderate to major flooding
• St Georges Basin – moderate to major flooding
• Moruya and Deua Rivers – major flooding
• Bega River – major flooding
• Queanbeyan and Molonglo Rivers – minor flooding

Northern NSW

Major flood warnings remain for the Tweed, Wilsons, Richmond, Clarence and Orara rivers.

Three Rural Fire Service semi-trailers – packed full of gear and with an army of volunteers onboard – are on their way to Lismore to help with the mammoth clean-up effort as floodwaters recede.

The trucks are carrying 20 tonnes of tents, gumboots, bedding and emergency rations and will spend the night in Coffs Harbour until they can get further north.

The volunteers will be deployed street-by-street to help pump out water, move mud and get people back into their homes.

“We want the RFS to be pre-positioned to be ready to roll in – we don’t want to wait weeks to be ready to go,” RFS inspector Ben Shepherd said.