NSW weather: Rain, flooding as La Nina is declared

Wild weather has triggered multiple flood rescues across NSW as the state braces for an unusually wet and cool summer with La Nina declared.

Heavy rain has triggered multiple flood rescues across NSW as the state braces for an unusually cold and wet summer with a La Nina event officially confirmed.

The warning comes ahead of a potentially record-breaking week of heavy rain as a low pressure trough sweeps across the state.

Flash flooding led to 17 flood rescues in the Central West on Tuesday including at Gunnedah, Forbes, Tambar Springs and in the Piallaway.

“The majority of rescues are vehicles that are going through floodwaters thinking that they can make it and are getting caught in flood waters,” NSW SES spokeswoman Stephanie Herd said.

Some residents in the town of Denman in NSW’s Upper Hunter Region had to be evacuated as floodwaters rose around them.

“The warning was for about three streets because once the flood waters because once flood waters enter Denman at 7.9 road access is cut for those streets,” Mrs Herd said.

The driver of this car drove around road closed signs last night to take on Cox's creek in flood. Picture: NSW SES Tambar Springs

Heavy rain is set to bring a renewed risk of flooding from Wednesday onwards before conditions ease next week.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Neil Fraser said the falls could break November records.

“We’re expecting a fair bit of rain over the coming days, so by the end of Friday, we’ll probably see some record rain falling across the state,” he said.

“When the rain comes it will exacerbate the flooding so we expect many of the rivers to peak again from Friday.”

Thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail and powerful winds are all expected as the weather settles in.

POTENTIAL FOR LA NINA TO BE A RECORD BREAKER

The wet weather comes as The Bureau of Meteorology on Tuesday declared a La Nina is under way in the tropical Pacific.

The climate driver typically leads to cooler and wetter than usual conditions.

Last summer was also affected by the climate driver, meaning another cold and wet summer.

Typically during La Niña, there is above average rainfall for eastern, northern and central parts of  Australia.

The Bureau’s Head of Operational Climate Services, Dr Andrew Watkins, said the event could be as strong as the 2010-12 event, which triggered one of the wettest periods on record.

“This strong event saw large impacts across Australia, including Australia’s wettest two-year periods on record, and widespread flooding.

“La Niña also occurred during spring and summer of 2020-21. Back-to-back La Niña events are not unusual, with around half of all past events returning for a second year.”

The NSW State Emergency Services (SES) is urging rsdients to be aware of the heightened risk of severe weather this storm season with the La Nina declaration.

Commissioner of NSW SES, Carlene York, said communities right across the state can expect to see adverse weather conditions for months to come.

“With saturated catchments, heavy rain has already led to major flooding for many communities in western NSW and the Mid North Coast in recent weeks.

“This declaration brings an even further increased risk of riverine and flash flooding across NSW,” Commissioner York said.

The weather bureau says this La Nina event is likely to persist until at least the end of January 2022.