Flood rescues, flights delayed in Christmas Eve drencher for city

Slow-moving thunderstorms have seen over a dozen flood rescues as flash flooding hit Sydney’s inner suburbs, with warnings of more wild weather to come tomorrow.

More than a dozen people have been rescued from flash flooding and torrential rain has lashed Sydney’s inner suburbs amid a Christmas Eve downpour which unleashed on the city.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued multiple severe thunderstorm warnings throughout Sunday as slow-moving thunderstorms slammed the western suburbs before moving in to hit the city and surrounds.

One cell which formed over the eastern suburbs wreaked havoc, with NSW State Emergency Service volunteers performing 21 flood rescues in just one hour as a storm cell battered the city’s eastern suburbs just after 5pm, including five rescues in Mascot, three in Botany and two each in Kensington and Eastlakes.

People were also pulled from cars in Kingsford, Banksmeadow, Rosebery, Wheeny Creek, Pagewood, Malabar and Eastgardens.

NSW SES spokeswoman Emily Barton said most rescues were of people trapped in their cars in floodwaters and that none of the people rescued were injured.

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She said the organisation had attended 201 assistance requests in the three hours to 7pm.

“To have 21 flood rescues in one hour is quite significant, the eastern suburbs of Sydney, that metropolitan area was the hardest hit area,” Ms Barton said.

“Thesystem is now moving into the Illawarra, where homes are being flooded, flash flooding and trees are down, similar to the jobs volunteers have been attending in Sydney so far.”

Footage amid the downpour showed cars pushing through floodwaters reaching as high up as an SUV’s bonnet on William St, Botany, while the water flooded into residents’ front yards and onto their porches.

Another clip showed a torrent of water tumbling down a cliff next to Bondi Icebergs and into the surf below.

The deluge impacted operations at Sydney Airport, which had received 74mm of rain between 9am and 7pm, with several flights delayed by the heavy rain and flash flooding on the tarmac.

Campbelltown received 35mm by 7pm, while Canterbury recorded 32mm and Sydney Olympic Park 29mm.

Sydney Airport rn… pic.twitter.com/lVgaPZEfz5

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With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting widespread heavy rain, hail and damaging winds, Ms Barton said the SES was preparing for a busy Christmas Day.

“We’re expecting (the weather) the impacts NSW’s eastern areas again … we have plenty of volunteers ready to stand up (and help), and have prepositioned assets in the southeast and northern parts of the state … we have flood rescue teams on standby as and if required,” she said.