Clear skies on Coffs Coast give ‘false sense of security’

“There is a false sense of security looking at the sky this morning.”

Coffs Harbour SES deputy unit commander Martin Wells.

Don't be complacent.

That's the warning from Coffs Harbour SES Deputy Unit Commander Martin Wells with clear sunny skies this morning across the region.

"Rainfall will be due to afternoon storms; possibly severe today," Mr Wells said on Tuesday morning (December 5).

"There is a false sense of security looking at the sky this morning."

A low pressure trough lying through inland NSW is moving easterly and is expected to impact the Mid North Coast as well as the Hunter from this afternoon.

The catchments are likely to be affected by minor flooding as they are already saturated from recent rainfall.

In December the Orara and Bellinger Rivers experienced flooding and heavy downpours have continued on and off for the past few weeks.

It has been a wet summer on the Coffs Coast, with Bureau of Meteorology statistics revealing the area received 476.4mm of rain during December.

The Coffs Coast experienced rain on most days, with the heaviest falls of 150.6mm recorded on December 12.

Storm season in NSW usually falls between October and March each year.

During a storm:

Simple things you can do during a storm to help protect your family:

- Never enter or travel through floodwater

- Stay indoors, clear of windows

- Stay clear of creeks, drains, causeways, gutters, streams, fallen trees, power lines and damaged buildings.

FLOODS THROUGH THE YEARS:

Coffs Harbour floods through the years

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- If driving, put your hazard lights on and pull over to the side of the road keeping clear of drains, causeways, streams, creeks, trees and power lines

- If outdoors, seek secure shelter away from drains, causeways, streams, creeks, trees and power lines

- Listen to your local radio station and other media for information, updates and advice

- For emergency assistance in floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500