Weather bureau warns of dangerous surf conditions for NSW coast
A weather warning for dangerous and powerful surf conditions has been issued for one state, with beachgoers put on notice.
A warning has been issued for dangerous surf conditions for southern NSW, as a large swell is forecast to make its way up the coast overnight.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued the hazardous surf warning for beachgoers over the weekend.
It warns surf and swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities including rock fishing, boating and swimming.
The affected areas on Saturday are the Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast on Saturday.
On Sunday, the warning is in place for the Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast and Illawarra Coast.
Moderate wind gusts and patchy rain is also predicted for the weekend.
Surf Life Saving NSW has urged members of the public from the south all the way up to the Central Coast to be cautious.
Consistent high tides up to 5m are expected on the far south coast, while offshore, 3.5m to 4m swells are likely around the regions, including the Central Coast.
According to Surf Life Saving NSW, exposed beaches and headlands will be hit, with the conditions potentially impacting the entire coast, towards the Queensland border.
The organisation’s chief executive Steve Pearce said there was also potential for storm debris that could end up in the oceans from overflowing rivers.
He said water quality could also be poor in places, creating an additional hazard.
“Given the conditions we are expecting, I would strongly urge people to consider their limitations and avoid taking unnecessary risks in and around the water,” Mr Pearce said.
“Many beaches may be closed due to the conditions and we encourage all coastal users to check BeachSafe to find your nearest patrolled location.”
The public is urged to avoid rock fishing and water activities on exposed beaches or rock-shelves, and to only swim in patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags.
Despite drier conditions returning to the state, flooding continues in many catchments and the weather bureau still has a number of flood warnings in place.
The wet weather has come from a low pressure system that brought rain to the south coast as well as a few thunderstorms to Sydney.
Small hail was also seen in the capital city, something the bureau said was “rare”.
Over the past 24 hours, some parts of the south coast were hit with more than 100mm of rain.
Lake Conjola recorded the most rainfall, reaching 204mm. It was followed by the Moruya station that had 201mm.
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