NSW floods as it happened: Residents told to evacuate as floods hit Sydney

Parts of NSW have received more than their monthly average rainfall within hours this weekend, as wild weather lashes eastern parts of the state.

A severe weather warning for heavy rainfall and strong winds has been issued for Sydney, the Illawarra and parts of the Hunter and Central Tablelands on Sunday.

Weatherzone meteorologist Andrew Schmidt said Shellharbour in the Illawarra region had received 193mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday - 3.2 times its monthly average.

Nowra received 126mm of rain in the same time period, almost 1.9 times its monthly rainfall average.

Schmidt said the rain was likely to stay until Tuesday, with a coastal trough off the east coast and a deepening low-pressure system driving the deluge.

“East coast lows are common during winter months around Sydney, so it’s not too uncommon to see this type of thing across the region,” he said.

“There are a lot of synoptic weather patterns which means there is a lot of moisture in the atmosphere.

“We also have an upper-level low, which you wouldn’t see on weather maps, which is bringing even more moisture across the system.”

The heaviest rainfall is likely to hit the Illawarra region on Sunday, with Shellharbour expecting to cop more than 100mm.

Parts of southern Sydney were hard-hit by heavy downpours on Saturday, with Wattamolla in the Royal National Park, Darkes Forest and Lucas Heights all copping more than 200 millimetres of rain within 24 hours.

Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke has asked holidaymakers heading to the coast to rethink their travel plans.

“To all communities between Newcastle and Batemans Bay, I’m respectfully asking that you reconsider your travel plans at this time.

“Please stay home if you can,” Cooke said on Sunday.

Thousands of people in low-lying areas around Sydney’s Hawkesbury-Nepean and Georges rivers are being asked to evacuate as an east coast low threatens to trigger the region’s third major floods within months.

Cooke said authorities were expecting the worst of the weather system, which is bringing heavy rains and strong winds, to roll through in the next 24 hours.

“I’d just ask people to stop and have a bit of I think about where they are going and how much they are moving over the next few days because we don’t want any lives lost through this event,” Cooke said.

“It’s all going to come down to exactly where that rainfall falls, how much, and at what time.

“And what we do know is that our storage is already full, right across the board, our landscapes are saturated, the river systems and channels are all full.”

Sydneysiders have been warned of safety risks sparked by flash flooding and fast-flowing rivers, as an east coast low battering parts of NSW brought heavy rains in the next 24 hours.

NSW Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman Jane Golding said while wet weather could ease in the Illawarra region during the day, it would return on Sunday evening.

Rainfall is expected to intensify in the Sydney region, particularly western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

Parts of the Central Coast and Hunter regions would likely see thunderstorms develop as the east coast low moved south.

NSW State Emergency Services Commissioner Carlene York said while there would be some quiet periods throughout the day, people should heed emergency warnings and not grow complacent.

“It is extremely dangerous out there. Stay out of the floodwaters, and we always warn don’t drive through floodwater and particularly don’t walk through them or allow children to play near them,” she said.

“There is no room for the rain to stay in the dams, and they are starting to spill. The rivers are flowing fast and dangerous and then there is the risk of flash flooding depending on where the rains are.

“There are a lot of risks the community needs to be aware of, and I ask you to heed the warning.”

The weather system is expected to ease on Tuesday.

NSW residents are facing a life-threatening emergency as an east coast low triggers flash flooding, coastal erosion and strong winds in parts of the state on Sunday, authorities say.

Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said the Hawkesbury-Nepean River reached major flood heights last night, and the Warragamba Dam spilled about 2am - “well ahead of predictions”.

Cooke said the east coast low weather system developing off the coast was expected to linger until Tuesday.

“This means even more torrential rain, it means strong damaging winds, and it means coastal erosion in Sydney, the Central Coast, the South Coast and the Illawarra.

“We are now facing dangers on multiple fronts ... If you live anywhere between Newcastle and Batemans Bay, please don’t be caught unaware by the current weather situation.

“This is a life-threatening emergency situation. If you know your local community is prone to flooding, then please be prepared to evacuate and at short notice.”

The NSW State Emergency Service has responded to more than 1400 requests for assistance and conducted 29 flood rescues in the past 24 hours.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke, NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York and the Bureau of Meteorology’s Jane Golding provide a weather and flood update.

Defence Minister Richard Marles says the Albanese government wants to be on the “front foot” as Sydney braces for flash flooding, and there are Australian Defence Force assets ready to help if they’re needed.

The federal government announced on Saturday that it was providing NSW with 100 Australian Defence Force troops and two helicopters capable of conducting night-time rescues.

Residents in southwest Sydney have been told to evacuate as heavy rain lashing the NSW east coast triggers multiple flood warnings - months after the region experienced severe flooding in March.

Marles spoke with Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt on Friday about what might be needed.

“Our mindset here is to be on the front foot,” Marles, who is also acting prime minister, told Sky News on Sunday morning.

“We’re not going to be caught unawares again, like the former government.

“This is an issue which needs to be dealt with in the here and now, in the moment, and if those Defence assets are required they are ready and available.”

People in nine Sydney suburbs received text messages telling them to get ready to evacuate overnight, as heavy rainfall triggered fears of flooding along the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Georges rivers.

Residents of low-lying parts of Camden were told by the State Emergency Service to evacuate on Saturday evening, after the suburb received more than 75 millimetres of rainfall between 9am and 8pm on Saturday.

The SES also said it would send emergency alert text messages to people who live along the Hawkesbury-Nepean river “in preparation for potential evacuations overnight and over the coming days as rain intensifies”.

People in Menangle, Liverpool, Milperra, Camden, North Richmond, Wallacia, Penrith, Sackville, Upper Colo and Windsor would receive text alerts, the SES said.

“If you receive a text message from +61 444 444 444, it’s an official alert that requires attention and to take action early,” the SES said in a statement.

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The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds and heavy rainfall in Sydney, the Illawarra, and parts of Hunter, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands on Sunday.

Parts of southern Sydney were particularly hard-hit by heavy downpours on Saturday, with Wattamolla in the Royal National Park, Darkes Forest and Lucas Heights all copping more than 200 millimetres of rain.

The bureau said an east coast low-pressure system brewing off the coast of NSW was sending humid air and patches of moderate to heavy rain across the central east of the state.

“Moderate to heavy rain should continue in parts of the central east throughout Sunday, and may continue through Monday as well if the low approaches the coast.

The bureau said six hourly rainfall totals between 70 and 120 millimetres were possible. Strong to damaging winds averaging 50 to 70 km/hr, with peak gusts up to 90 km/hr, are possible along the coast.

Heavy rainfall will further contribute to flooding already being experienced, and increases the potential for landslides. The damaging winds may lead to debris on roads and provides the risk for trees toppling in softer soils,” the bureau said.

A flood warning has been issued for minor to major flooding along the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo rivers over the coming days. Major flooding is also possible at Menangle and North Richmond from today.

There is also a severe weather warning for damaging surf in the Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra regions. Very heavy surf is expected to develop on Sunday. People have been urged to stay vigilant and monitor conditions.