Pinned
Where to find emergency assistance and information
By Luke Royes
For emergency assistance, contact SES in NSW or QLD on 132 500
If your life is at risk, call Triple-0 (000) immediately
For the latest weather updates visit theBureau of MeteorologyinNSW here
ABC Emergencycontains planning and advice, an incident map and more
If you're not sure what to do when there's a flood,here's the best way to plan
Tune in to your local ABC Radio Station
Key Event
Sydney cops heaviest rainfall in 4 years
By David Hirst
Here's a few facts and figures from our weather boffin Tom Saunders:
- Sydney has already received its heaviest rain total in 4 years with more than 160mm since 9am yesterday (highest 48-hour total)
- The heaviest rain today has been on the Mid North Coast. Taree with more than 100mm since 9am
- A deluge will arrive overnight across parts of Sydney and the Illawarra, Blue Mountains and Hunter leading to severe flash flooding and rapid river rises, including up to 220mm in 6 hours on the Illawarra Escarpment
- The torrential falls are part of a broader rain event which is soaking eastern Australia, and has triggered flood watches and warnings from southern Queensland to the NSW South Coast
- More than 40 flood watches are current for NSW
- The band of torrential rain is moving south and will clear from Sydney by about 8am, clear the Illawarra by late morning and clear from the South Coast by the evening
Key Event
Six injured in wet-weather crash
By David Hirst
Reporting by Adriane Reardon from the ABC South East NSW newsroom.
Six people, including two children, have been taken to hospital with injuries following a crash in wet weather south of Mudgee in the NSW central west.
Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash on the Castlereagh Highway, about 2pm today, where a ute and four-wheel drive had collided.
The male passenger in the ute, believed to be in his 60s, was flown to hospital with serious injuries, while the male driver, 55 was taken to Mudgee Hospital.
The driver of the four-wheel drive, a 34-year-old man, was also flown to hospital with serious injuries, while his 32-year-old female passenger was flown to hospital with critical injuries.
Two children in the back-seat, aged two and six, sustained minor injuries and taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead for observation.
A crime scene has been established and an investigation is underway.
Flooding at Parramatta River in Sydney's west
By David Hirst
ABC photographer Timothy Ailwood is at Parramatta River. He's just filed this pic.
Storm damage to create 'significant work' for SES
By David Hirst
NSW SES chief superintendent Dallas Burnes has this afternoon given an update on ABC News 24.
Mr Burnes said storm damage was going to "create more significant work for us".
He said the majority of call-outs had been for leaking roofs and fallen trees and there had been about half a dozen rescues.
Mr Burnes urged people to stay indoors tonight.
"If it's at nighttime and the road is flooded? Do not cross that roadway. You do not know what is under it.
"The flood rescues we've undertaken today, the majority related to cars entering floodwater. That puts our volunteers' lives at risk."
Rain and thunderstorms continue in southern Queensland
By Luke Royes
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A south-west Queensland town has shut its flood levee ahead of major flooding, as the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecasts heavy falls for the south-east of the state into the weekend.
Senior forecaster Laura Boekel said rain and thunderstorms would continue today and tomorrow, with possible falls of up to 100 millimetres.
"It's very important to note that in some parts of the south and south-east, we're seeing moisture of the soil and the catchments quite high, so that means catchments, rivers, creeks can respond quite rapidly," she said.
"We could see responses from moderate rainfall this weekend."
Read more here.
Key Event
BOM issues flood warning for Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers
By David Hirst
The people at the Bureau of Meteorology have certainly had a busy day. They've just released another weather update.
- Major flooding possible at Menangle and North Richmond from Saturday morning
- Moderate flooding possible at Windsor and Putty Road from overnight Friday
- Minor flooding likely at Camden Weir, Wallacia Weir, Penrith, Sackville and possible at Lower Portland from Friday evening
Rainfall totals of up to 150mm have been observed in the Hawkesbury Nepean catchment since 9am on Thursday.
Further heavy rainfall is forecast through the catchment for the remainder of Friday and into Saturday.
Minor flooding is likely along the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo Rivers from overnight Friday. With the forecast rainfall, further river level rises and moderate to major flooding is possible from Saturday morning along the Hawkesbury and Nepean Rivers.
Transport update for commuters
By David Hirst
This is the latest from the Transport Management Centre.
Motorists and public transport passengers are advised to plan ahead and allow plenty of extra travel time due to severe weather in Sydney and surrounding areas.
- Wakehurst Parkway is closed in both directions due to flooding between North Narrabeen and Oxford Falls.
- Oxford Falls Road is closed in both directions due to flooding between Wakehurst Parkway and Aroona Road.
- Other roads where motorists are advised to take extra care due to water on the road include: The Pacific Highway at Pymble, Centenary Drive at Strathfield, Pittwater Road at North Manly and Euston Road at St Peters
On public transport:
- Passengers who need to travel on the Sydney Trains network are advised to allow plenty of extra travel time due to severe weather damaging equipment at Redfern, as well as slower boarding times.
- Trains are running on all lines but there are some delays and gaps in service.
- Plan ahead and avoid travel where possible.
- Buses are supplementing trains between Campbelltown and Macarthur, and between Riverstone and Richmond.
- Passengers are advised to listen to announcements and check information displays for service updates.
- Buses are replacing ferries between Parramatta and Rydalmere due to the weir overflowing.
Parramatta River overflowing
By David Hirst
This is the latest from the ABC's Elinya Chenery.
Heavy rainfall has caused minor flooding in Sydney's west this afternoon.
The Parramatta River is overflowing in low lying areas after the water level raised above 2 metres in height.
Areas affected by the flooding include the Parramatta Ferry Wharf and footbridges across the river.
Authorities say further flooding is expected in the area in the coming hours.
Communities on Mid North Coast without power
By David Hirst
Reporting by Adriane Reardon from the ABC South East NSW newsroom.
Some communities along parts of the Bellingen River on the NSW Mid North Coast are completely isolated by flood water and without power.
Residents in the localities of Thora and Darkwood are affected, and NSW SES crews will be undertaking welfare checks.
"We've got some communities there that are completely isolated by floodwater," NSW SES spokesperson Andrew Edmunds said on the ABC statewide drive program.
"They may find themselves without power, water and other essential services."
Isolated residents in those communities are being urged to contact the NSW SES on 132 500 if they need assistance with supplies.
Key Event
NSW SES advises people not to go outside
By David Hirst
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is advising people to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel as significant rainfall impacts much of the NSW east coast.
A severe storm warning is in place for communities from Gosford in the north, to Batemans Bay in the south, across to Goulburn, with damaging winds and very heavy rain possible. Meanwhile, residents on the Bellingen River at Thora and Darkwood have been advised to prepare for isolation.
Residents in these communities may find themselves cut off by flood water and without power, water and other essential services.
NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Sean Kearns said conditions were likely to worsen over the next few hours.
"There's potential for very large downpours of rain between the Blue Mountains and Narooma, which could lead to life-threatening flash flooding," Assistant Commissioner Kearns said.
The NSW SES said it had responded to more than 800 incidents in the last 24 hours.
Prepare to evacuate alert in Chipping Norton
By Luke Royes
The NSW SES has issued a prepare to evacuate and watch and act notice for people in low lying areas of eastern parts of Chipping Norton.
Those in the following area are being told to prepare to evacuate due to predicted dangerous flooding:
- All properties in the following streets in Chipping Norton:
- Newbridge Road between Riverside Road and east to Georges River
- Riverside Road between Childs Road and Newbridge Road
- Davy Robinson Drive
- Rickard Road
- Arthur Street
You should monitor the situation and prepare to evacuate so that you can safely evacuate when instructed to do so by NSW SES. There's more detail on Facebook here.
Key Event
More than 100 flights cancelled at Sydney Airport
By David Hirst
The wild weather has not surprisingly caused issues at Sydney Airport with more than 100 flights cancelled through domestic arrivals and departures.
A Sydney Airport spokesperson urged passengers to check with their airline regarding the status of their flight.
Is public transport in Sydney affected by the weather?
By David Hirst
- Sydney Trains and Ferriesasked commuters to take "extra care" as surfaces can be slippery when wet
- Transport for NSW is advising to allow for extra travel time on the T1, T2, T3, T8 and T9 train lines due to weather damaging equipment at Redfern
- Transport for NSW says there are no significant delays on Sydney's bus network
Hundreds of sandbags at the ready in Gosford
By Luke Royes
Reporting by Adriane Reardon from the ABC South East NSW newsroom.
Hundreds of sandbags are ready and waiting for collection at the NSW SES Gosford depot on the Central Coast in preparation for more rain to come.
Members of the community volunteered their time to help fill the bags today, along with those from the Terrigal Rugby Union Club.
Gosford has received more than 70 millimetres so far today, according to data from the Bureau of Meteorology.
BOM updates flood warning
By David Hirst
The Bureau of Meteorology has updated its Flood Watch which now includes major flooding on:
- Myall River
- Lower Hunter River
- Upper Nepean River
- Hawkesbury and Lower Nepean River
- Colo River
- Georges and Woronora River
- Macquarie River to Bathurst
Key Event
Major delays on state's rail networks
By David Hirst
Transport for NSW says there are "major delays" across the Sydney Trains and NSW Trainlink networks because of the heavy rain.
Passengers are advised to avoid non-essential travel.
Buses may supplement some services.
If you do need to travel though, Transport for NSW advises you to allow plenty of extra time.
Flooding impacts Newell Highway
By David Hirst
Reporting by Adriane Reardon from the ABC South East NSW newsroom.
Flooding continues to impact the Newell Highway in the state's north, which remains closed between Boggabilla and Moree.
Motorists travelling north from Moree can take a diversion using the Carnarvon Highway and the Barwon Highway to Goondiwindi.
The southbound diversion is the same in reverse and is also suitable for all vehicles.
The alternate route between the two towns is about 2.5 hours long.
Hawkesbury SES commander says it's a 'waiting game' at the moment
By Millie Roberts
Jessica Kidd from the Sydney newsroom spoke to Kevin Jones from the Hawkesbury SES just then.
He said the volunteers were busily checking equipment and making sure everything was "good to go" as the unit prepared for rain in the Hawkesbury expected tonight.
"We're really at the moment just playing a bit of a waiting game, waiting for the rain to come," he said.
"It seems to have not been as bad as they were predicting up on the north coast, but as it comes further south it looks like … there's still a chance that it's going to be a bit more intense."
Mr Jones said the local community is "definitely much more aware" on this occasion after going through "so many floods", which has helped with preparations today.
Power restored to hundreds of buildings in Sydney's CBD
By Millie Roberts
Ausgrid says power has been restored to hundreds of businesses and homes after "significant rainfall" caused a major power outage.
It said 1,300 customers were affected after a substation flooded on Goulburn and Pitt streets.
Power has now been restored to more than 1,250 customers after the water was pumped offsite.
It said the "bulk" of affected customers have their lights back on, but a small number may still be out at this point in time.