NSW weather live updates: Lismore, Coraki evacuated as Sydney rain eases
Sydney’s weather is set to ease on Wednesday but the State Emergency Service is still bracing for the possibility of severe thunderstorms and flooding.
Sydney’s weather is set to ease on Wednesday but the State Emergency Service is still bracing for the possibility of severe thunderstorms and flooding.
Warragamba Dam was predicted to spill, at its water volume capacity of 2,027,000 ML as of Tuesday morning. Flood warnings remain in place for the Colo River and Hawkesbury due to the danger.
Further north, communities already devastated by floods earlier this month have been hit with another deluge, forcing residents of Lismore, Coraki and Tumbulgum to evacuate on Tuesday evening as river levels rise.
The Bureau of Meteorology warns across the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and parts of the Northern Tablelands localised flash flooding is possible, with six-hourly rainfall totals reaching up to 300mm.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) have received a total of 660 requests for assistance – at this stage they include supplying sandbags, repairing leaking roofs and conducting flood rescues for vehicles that drove through floodwaters.
The state's north has copped a greater deluge of rain over the past week than any other part of Australia, with Port Macquarie recording the country's highest weekly rainfall total at 264.2 mm.
For those only just beginning the clean-up from flooding in late April and early March, the second rain bomb is "incredibly bitter".
Sydney’s weather is set to ease on Wednesday but the State Emergency Service is still bracing for the possibility of severe thunderstorms and flooding.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Hugh McDowell said while rainfall would ease off, a flood warning was still in place for parts of northwestern Sydney and light rain would persist for the rest of the week.
“There will be a few showers around, not as many as today, but it will be a wet and cloudy day,” he said.
He said the massive amount of rain was thanks to a low pressure system sitting off the NSW coast.
The Bureau yesterday issued flood warnings for North Richmond on Tuesday night while moderate flood warnings were in place for Wednesday morning at The Colo River at Putty Road.
“The reason they are in place is the dams are at capacity and are in danger of spilling over,” Mr McDowell said.
Despite the flood warnings, only light rain was expected to continue for the remainder of the week.
“There are going to be showers on and off for the rest of the week and the weekend … Perhaps on the weekend we will get a few breaks in the clouds,” he said.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 29, 2022
On Tuesday the SES rescued the occupant of a car who was trapped in floodwaters on Pittwater Rd in Narrabeen.
That is the seventh flood rescue they have performed since the weather system developed last Tuesday.
There have been 660 requests for assistance – at this stage they include supplying sandbags, repairing leaking roofs and conducting flood rescues for vehicles that drove through floodwaters.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued an update on the severe weather warning in place for the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and parts of the Northern Tablelands, current as of 4:30pm.
A low pressure system approaching the northeast NSW coast tonight and tomorrow is causing heavy rainfall, with locally intense falls within embedded thunderstorms.
Localised flash flooding is possible, with six-hourly rainfall totals reaching up to 300mm.
Between 9am and 4pm today, 131mm of rain was reported at Coffs Harbour, 89mm at Bellingen, 86mm at Gleniffer and 85mm at Dorrigo.
4:30pm severe weather warning update from the Bureau of Meteorology.
'Devastated’ Tweed region faces more land slips, evacuations
Barely a month since flood waters devastated the Tweed residents once again have found themselves preparing for the worst with evacuation warnings issues across the region.
Overnight on Tuesday, Tweed Heads recorded a massive 275mm in 24 hours to 9am, with surrounding areas receiving similar falls, the highest at Banora Point which received 283mm.
Flooding at the bottom of Tomewin Hill on March 29, 2022. Picture: Andrew McCleod
Evacuation warnings were put in place for Tumbulgum, North and South Murwillumbah and Condong just as residents were starting to feel a sense of normality again.
Mayor Chris Cherry said the fresh rain was “incredibly bitter” for the region.
The Bureau of Meteorology has revealed NSW's Mid North Coast and far north have received greater rainfall totals than anywhere in the country in the last week.
As of yesterday (March 28) over 100 mm has been recorded along the state's north coast.
The highest weekly total was 264.2 mm at Port Macquarie.
A map of rainfall totals across the country until March 28. Source: BOM
GALLERY: Lismore's flood-ravaged communities hit again
In Lismore, flood-ravaged residents and business owners – some of whom have only just got back in operation after recent unprecedented flooding – are evacuating again.
See photos from inside the town in the mega-gallery below.
Emergency authorities had to rescue a person from their car after they tried to drive through floodwaters on the northern beaches early today.
The car stalled in close to a metre of water spilling across Pittwater Rd at Narrabeen, near the intersection with Robertson St.
Emergency services personnel, including SES volunteers, had to rescue a driver from their small car. Picture: SES Warringah/Pittwater
SES volunteers from the Manly and Warringah/Pittwater units have been called out to more than a dozen jobs, and are assisting police and Fire and Rescue NSW.
Sydney’s hottest day so far this summer has faded away to powerful winds, which launched a gazebo perilously close to power lines in one of more than 100 incidents reported to the SES across the city.
The Australian Venue Co was forced to apologise for its Australia Day ban at more than 200 venues but now it is doubling down and snubbing our national day by calling it ‘January Long Weekend’.
