SES at ready as more east coast wild weather looms

Emergency service workers will remain on standby in coming days as more wild weather heads towards the already battered east and south coasts.

Floodwaters rise at Sanctuary Point in Shoalhaven on the NSW south coast. Picture: TNV

Emergency service workers will remain on standby in coming days as more wild weather heads towards the already battered east and south coasts of Australia.

First responders have been working around the clock after the east coast copped a battering from gale-force winds and torrential rain at the weekend and are gearing up for another lashing.

Fierce gusts are expected to pick up over Tuesday producing even more dangerous swells as the mature low pressure system produces a strong southerly air flow along the NSW coast.

It comes after the NSW State Emergency Service responders were inundated with more than 1000 calls for assistance since midnight on Saturday, the majority coming from the central coast where people reported leaking and damaged roofs, fallen trees, and flash flooding.

The SES said 25 flood rescuers attended operations around the state, including one in Newcastle where nine children had to be saved from a bus trapped in the deluge at the University of Newcastle at Callaghan just before 5:30pm on Sunday.

The SES used an inflatable boat to rescue the children and the driver.

SES workers rescued four motorists who were trapped in their cars by flash flooding in separate incidents in the Newcastle area as heavy rains swept down the coast.

A gale-force southerly is expected to develop off the south coast region and into the Illawarra with 60 to 70km/h wind.

“Unfortunately, we will see those impacts in the central and south coast over the coming days and we could see some beach erosion, in particular, the south-­facing surf zones,” Dean Narra­more from the Bureau of Meteorology said.

“The hazardous surf will continue until at least Wednesday.”

Boogie boarders surf the Mollymook Golf Club in NSW. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

The BOM issued a flood watch warning on Monday that extends to the Blue Mountains and urged residents along the Shoalhaven river, Deua River, Bega River and St Georges River to stay alert for rising water levels.

Mr Narramore said severe weather warnings will remain in place for much of the NSW coast for damaging winds, heavy rainfall and hazardous surf. The gale-force winds and rains are enough to produce more road flooding, flash flooding and large swells strong enough to cause further coastal erosion to already impacted coastline properties.

“We have widespread rain through much of southeastern NSW with general falls ranging from 25mm to 50mm and some isolated totals in excess of 100mm,” Mr Narramore said.

He said Ulladulla had as much as 75mm of rain since 9am on Monday while Island Point Road received 100mm.

“The rain will ease in NSW on Tuesday but will continue into eastern Victoria.”