Torrential rain starts to douse fires, drench NSW
Firefighters are breathing their first big sigh of relief in six months, as widespread rain begins to drench firegrounds across the state, bringing the number of blazes to the lowest since August.
NSW
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The number of fires burning across NSW has dropped to the lowest since the horror season began, as rain starts to drench the state ahead of a record-breaking deluge.
At 7am today, 42 fires were burning across the state — the lowest number since August — after rain started falling across the east coast ahead of a weekend of heavy downpours.
The forecast deluge will mark the heaviest February rainfall in Sydney since 2002.
NSW RFS spokesman Angela Burford said the mood at firegrounds had changed dramatically with the downpour.
“Firefighters have been waiting months to see rain like this. It’s hard to believe after so long of working so hard,” she said.
Already, rain has cut the number of fires by a third, dousing flames in the state’s north-east and mid-north coast. With up to 200mm of potentially drought breaking rain set to fall in parts of the country in coming days, including the state’s south, crews are relieved.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for. This is when we will start to see the number of fires drop off.”
Today we were over the moon to see rain arrive across many parts of New South Wales, with decent fall in the State's north.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) February 6, 2020
There are still 42 fires burning and 17 are yet to be contained. 1200 firefighters will continue working on these firegrounds tonight.#NSWRFS #NSWFires pic.twitter.com/xxNDkj97vV
At 6am, areas in far north in NSW had recorded almost 200mm while Sydney and the state’s south had received 40mm.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has predicted heavy rainfall in the northeast, travelling south to the Hunter Region, Metro and Illawarra.
Byron Bay copped 107mm yesterday. I’d say those levels increased overnight... @TheTodayShow @9NewsSyd pic.twitter.com/xpgQh5iahp
— Airlie Walsh (@AirlieWalsh) February 6, 2020
BOM meteorologist Helen Kirkup said Byron Bay received the most rainfall since 9am yesterday with 266mm recorded.
She said the Bellinger and Orara rivers, to the north and south of Coffs Harbour, had a high chance of flooding today and tomorrow.
About 25mm of rain is forecast to fall in Gunnedah today, where excited country kids Digger, 12, Cameron, 11 and Emily Valks, 7 are gearing up to paddle their tinnie into the Naomi River.
The river near their home has not flowed in over a year but got some rain yesterday, resulting in a mud bath.
“It’s raining now and the kids have been throwing mud around since they got home from school,” proud mum Kylie Devine told The Daily Telegraph.
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“It’s raining in the right places in the catchment area southeast of Gunnedah so hopefully this is the start of big things to come.”
“It will take a lot to get the river flowing again but I can already see hope on the kids’ faces who have played in nothing but dust for the past three years.”
In Sydney more than 100mm is set to fall daily in Penrith from Friday into the weekend.
Ms Kirkup said some regions are expected to get upwards of 200mm.
“There’s no one spot that’s going to get the most rainfall, it’s actually a really widespread system,” Ms Kirkup said.
“Everyone will be getting 20mm plus and some places may see upwards of 200mm.”
She said there was also the possibility for situations to become dangerous.
“There’s a potential for some fairly horrendous conditions when it comes to things like ash and debris falling into the waterways. Also the trees become unstable when the ground starts to get wet,” she said.
Flash flooding is predicted along the Northern Rivers, Mid-North Coast and eastern parts of the Northern Tablelands with severe weather warnings in place.
Additional reporting by Joseph Attanasio & Mitchell Van Homrigh