NSW weather: Heavy rain, flash flooding across parts of state
The weather bureau says huge deluges forecast to sweep across NSW in coming days will be the most significant rainfalls in the state’s firegrounds to date, meaning our hard-working firefighters can finally get on top of the biggest bushfires.
NSW
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The state is set for a good soak in the next few days with “significant” rainfall expected to fill dams, dampen some bushfire grounds and even bring flash flooding to parts of NSW.
The Bureau of Meteorology is expecting a coastal low-pressure trough developing off northern NSW to bring heavy rainfall from Wednesday as the trough moves south throughout the week.
The downpour could mark the heaviest February 24-hour rainfall in Sydney since 2002 - when 130mm of rain was recorded on February 5.
Bureau meteorologist David Wilke told The Daily Telegraph “much of the state” was likely to receive decent rainfall into the weekend with the Sydney basin set to receive up to 100mm as the trough arrives later this week.
Please, please, pretty please! (8 day rainfall outlook) #NSWRFS pic.twitter.com/4QZvhu58cs
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) February 4, 2020
“Some of the heaviest rainfall will be on the north coast, expected north of the Taree area,” Mr Wilke said.
“In general for Sydney we’re looking at totals of somewhere between 30 to 40mm of rain each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so it’s not unreasonable to suggest we would get between 70 to 100mm across the weekend.”
No weather warnings are yet in place but a flood watch warning would likely be issued for the northern rivers and mid-north coast later today.
“It could be south or north, with the river systems around Grafton,” Mr Wilke said. “It’s hard to predict where it will hit but flash flooding is possible when there is rapid rainfall, and people in areas subject to flash flooding across NSW should keep up with the forecast.”
NSW State Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Daniel Austin said volunteers from across the state were ready to assist residents.
Mr Austin asked the community to prepare their homes as there was the potential of flash flooding and landslides.
“We are asking the community to remain vigilant and listen to the warnings from the bureau and ourselves,” Mr Austin said.
“If we need to move a significant number of people, we have that capability.”
Bushfire grounds may also receive a welcome downpour as the weather systems hit on the south coast and inland towards Canberra across the weekend and the new week.
Bureau weather services manager Mike Funnell said the forecast was promising for bushfire affected areas.
“It does have the potential to be the most significant rainfall for the fire grounds this year,” Mr Funnell said.
“It was only four days ago that we had six fires still burning at emergency warning levels.
“If the system tracks as we expect it too we could see some significant totals that really give the fire agencies an upper hand.”
Warragamba Dam will hopefully receive a top-up from some of the downpours expected in the Sydney basin, Mr Wilke said. Sydney’s largest water supply’s capacity level was at 41.9 per cent as of Tuesday.
“The (Warragamba) catchment is through the Blue Mountains region which has forecast rain, and Sydney’s projected rainfall is true for that area with the system pushing inland over Warragamba,” Mr Wilke said.
Another trough moving east across inland areas including the Central West will bring more rainfall to drought-stricken areas in the next week, with “potential for storms most days”.
“It may be hit and miss but throughout the week, most places inland should get rainfall, and hopefully get some more water into dams. There have been significant isolated totals over 100mm in one day earlier this month,” Mr Wilke said.
“There’s rainfall forecast for most of NSW over the next week, but dams that get rain will depend on where the rainfall is located.”
Mr Wilke said that while the expected rainfall was “not drought-busting”, any falls would be “obviously very welcome”.
“It’s a good start,” he said.