NSW weather: Homes without power as winds lash Sydney
There were the dramatic scenes across Sydney on Monday as heavy rainfall caused havoc - including a landslide which triggered an evacuation on the Northern Beaches.
NSW
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Landslides sent mud streaming into houses forcing residents to evacuate while stranded motorists were rescued from flash floods as torrential rains lashed much of NSW on Monday.
The wild blast of weather dumped more than 100mm on stretches of Sydney and the Central Coast while savage winds of almost 100km/h downed trees, sparking nearly 1000 calls for help to emergency services.
The biggest downpour was at Wallis Lakes south of Forster which recorded 284mm of rain after 9am including 124mm in one hour.
The cause was a weekend cold front deepening yesterday into a low pressure system which is expected to bring more storms on Tuesday and Wednesday.
At Pittwater on Sydney’s northern beaches the rain caused the collapse of sloping terrain near the hamlet of Great Mackerel Beach, sending mud and debris sliding into homes.
The land slip damaged at least three houses and prompted the evacuation of 25 people from 18 properties. Northern Beaches Council was assessing the damage last night.
Among those left stranded by the chaotic weather were a group of young people stranded in Central Coast floodwater inside a late-model BMW.
Melina Road at Holgate disappeared underwater midmorning, as did the wheels and underside of the silver vehicle carrying four people.
State Emergency Service crews from Gosford sprang into action, deploying an inflatable dinghy to get to the occupants. Dramatic footage showed rescuers strapping ropes to the car to stop it being swept away.
As waters rose, two women in the car — one still wearing her designer sunglasses — climbed through the rear window and into the safety of the dinghy before the car was eventually pulled out.
The male driver of the vehicle said: “We’re all right, but the water just came up really quick. It went through the bridge … anyway, as long as everyone’s OK.”
In nearby Ourimbah, vehicles were entirely submerged as floodwaters almost topped two-metres. There were also multiple rescues further north including two people who were stuck in a truck after trying to get through floodwater at Karuah, about 60km north of Newcastle.
Infuriating vision of a taxi driving through floodwater on the Central Coast prompted a warning from a beleaguered SES official. Video showed the taxi with floodwaters over the car’s bonnet at an intersection at Narara.
“If you come across a flooded road, don’t drive through it, find another way around,” an SES spokesman said.
“It only takes 15cm of water for a car to float away, and it is a possibility. It doesn’t matter how experienced a driver is, (if they’re driving a) 4WD or otherwise.”
The footage of the taxi prompted anger on social media.
“All drivers that decide to drive through floodwaters should have their right to drive taken away,” one woman posted.
Another man added: “Should be charged with dangerous driving — what a dipstick”.
Fallen trees and flooding also forced the closure of Wakehurst Parkway, Oxford Falls Rd and Falston Rd, resulting in heavy traffic for peak-hour commuters.
High winds left hundreds of homes without power on the north shore and northern beaches.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Shuang Wang said NSW residents should brace for a wet and wild week.
“The main concerns in coming days will be the wet conditions and fresh southerly winds across NSW,” she said.
Two severe weather warnings were put out by the bureau yesterday for the coming days — one covering the Hunter and mid-north coast and another for the Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and Snowy Mountains. Residents in those areas were being urged to move their vehicles and expect possible fallen power lines.
Dangerous surf warnings were in place from Eden in the state’s far south up to Port Macquarie, with Surf Life Saving officials discouraging rock fishing, boating and swimming.
FAMILY RESCUED FROM LUXURY CAR
A Central Coast family had to be rescued from their luxury car after it became stuck in floodwaters as wild weather continued to wreak havoc across Sydney and the state today.
The BMW became stuck in Holgate this morning after heavy rains swamped Milina Rd, stranding four passengers inside the vehicle.
Emergency services were called to the scene and deployed an inflatable dinghy to rescue the occupants.
In dramatic footage, SES officers can be seen strapping ropes to the luxury vehicle to stop it from being swept downstream.
As floodwaters rose, one of the passengers – a woman still wearing her designer sunglasses – was notably distressed as she climbed through the window of the back passenger seat to be carried to higher ground.
The male driver of the vehicle said: “We’re all right, but the water just came up really quick.”
“It went through the bridge … anyway, as long as everyone’s OK,” he said.
The rescue came as police issued a warning for people to practice caution over the coming days with more wet weather forecast.
It comes as commuters were bracing for peak hour chaos this afternoon after torrential rainfall and strong winds continued to wreak havoc across Sydney, causing road closures and the suspension of public transport.
The Manly Fast Ferry service remains closed due to adverse weather and those who are commuting to Manly are advised to make alternative travel arrangements and expect further delays while boarding state ferries.
Palm Beach ferries are also currently diverting to Patonga due to strong winds and huge swells.
Elsewhere on the Northern Beaches, the Wakehurst Parkway has reopened in both directions after being closed all day due to flooding, however Oxford Falls Rd remains shut between the Wakehurst Parkway and Aroona Rd.
In the south, the Bundeena ferry service has been cancelled due to large and dangerous swells and replacement busses will be running from Bundeena and Cronulla.
The wild weather also forced the closure of Newcastle Airport.
In a statement, authorities wrote that the airfield will remain closed for the duration of the day due to flooding.
“Today’s limited flight schedule is postponed, please contact your airline directly for more details on your flight,” management wrote.
“The airfield is due to reopen tomorrow morning.”
The torrential rain and wild winds are also causing havoc on Sydney’s northern beaches, triggering a landslide near Palm Beach.
Aerial footage shows the land spill at the Mackerel trail that came within metres of several properties and caused severe damage to at least one home at Mackerel Beach.
Another two properties were “partly” damaged.
Residents at 18 addresses – totalling 25 people – have been evacuated, while officials at the Northern Beaches Council have been called in to assess the damage, a NSW SES spokesman said.
Sydney’s Northern Beaches have already copped 100mm of rain in the last three days with more on the way as flash flooding prompted road closures and left many homes without power.
State Emergency Operations Controller Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys the heavy rain was also creating hazardous conditions on the roads.
“It has been a while since we’ve had significant rainfall, so I also want to remind all road users to take extra care,” Deputy Commissioner Worboys said.
“The key for motorists is drive or ride to the conditions; reduce your speed to make sure there’s enough braking distance between you and the vehicle in front.
“Most importantly, if the road conditions get dangerous – things like flash flooding, mud or landslides, debris or trees on the road – get off the road and wait somewhere away from trees, drains and low-lying areas and floodwaters.”
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The wild weather battered parts of NSW’s coastline as a cold front brings heavy rain, flooding, huge swells and damaging winds, sparking weather alerts across the state.
In NSW, Queensland and the NT, more than 2.24 million lightning strikes were recorded in just 48 hours over the weekend.
The low pressure system coupled with a cold front sitting off the eastern seaboard is driving vigorous easterly winds and drizzly conditions across the state.
The front lashed the coastline overnight, resulting in huge hailstones pelting down in southern Queensland and hail warnings for parts of northern NSW.
The windy conditions left hundreds of homes without power in South Turramurra, Turramurra, West Pymble, Avalon Beach, Bilgola and Bilgola Plateau.
Fallen trees and flooding also forced the closure of Wakehurst Parkway, Oxford Falls Road and Falston Road, resulting in heavy traffic for peak-hour commuters.
Buses are also replacing Manly F1 and F3 Parramatta River ferries due to adverse weather.
Shuang Wang, duty forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said NSW residents should brace for a week of grey weather.
“The main concerns in coming days will be the wet conditions and fresh southerly winds across NSW,” she said.
A severe weather warning for damaging winds with gusts up to 90km/h is active for residents of the Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and Snowy Mountains.
Anyone in these suburbs is urged to move their vehicles under cover and stay away from fallen power lines before conditions ease throughout the day.
Surf and swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities like rock fishing, boating and swimming across the Macquarie, Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra coasts.
Swells are expected to reach heights of up to three and a half metres, prompting Surf Life Saving NSW to urge people to exercise caution amid the “extreme” conditions.
At this stage, the BOM does not expect any associated coastal erosion risk.
A marine wind warning is also in place for gale-force winds in the Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra.
Flood warnings are in place for the Central Coast region, with heavy rainfall set to pelt down in Newcastle, Gosford and Maitland.
Rain bucketed down across NSW over the weekend, totalling 75mm in just 24 hours in parts and resulting in flooding for the Upper Murray River and parts of the Tooma River.
The wild weather has seen the State Emergency Service (SES) attend 406 jobs since Friday, including a man who had to be rescued from a ute caught in floods in Tumbarumba.
Some photos of the current flooding situation in #Tumbarumba, affecting local roads, caravan parks and ovals.
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) October 24, 2020
If it's flooded, forget it! 🚗⌠pic.twitter.com/ETq6Z0kiYZ
The weekend front is set to deepen into a low pressure system on Monday and Tuesday, creating seven days of drizzly conditions across the state.
Temperatures will also remain crisp throughout the week, with a low of 13 degrees and a top of 25 degree in Sydney before conditions warm up later in the week.
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