Bomb cyclone brings record-breaking rain
Emergency crews are scrambling across the NSW South Coast after towns were drenched by record breaking rainfall, with about 40,000 homes and businesses across the state without power.
Ulladulla was hit with 223mm of rain between 9am on Tuesday and 6am on Wednesday, the heaviest July rainfall on record for the town.
Nearby Nowra recorded 156mm in the same period, marking its wettest July day in at least 25 years, Moruya Ap experienced it’s heaviest July rain in 78 years with 147mm, and Narooma it’s heaviest winter rain on record with 140mm.
The deluge has triggered a major response from NSW SES crews, who had responded to more than 1860 incidents in 24 hours on Wednesday morning.
“Destructive” winds and rain from a “bomb cyclone” system are forecast to smash millions of Aussies across the NSW coast this week with conditions set to intensify in the coming days.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has warned winds will also intensify on Wednesday morning for southern Queensland.
“With a low pressure system lingering off the central New South Wales coast, we’re likely to continue to see severe weather through Wednesday morning, locally damaging wind gusts, rain areas, showers and coastal thunderstorms will continue today, mainly impacting the Illawarra and South Coast,” A BOM spokesperson said.
Sydney’s eastern suburbs and coastal fringes, including Illawarra and the south coast, could face significant damage from destructive wind gusts reaching up to 125km/h.
The BOM reported wind gusts up to 122km/h at Montague Island and over 100km/h in parts of Sydney, the Central Coast, and the Tablelands.
The risk of heavy rain is expected to ease further into Wednesday morning, but the BOM is warning the risk of damaging winds will continue and river rises remain possible.
Emergency warnings are in place for multiple regions across the two states, with 30,000 homes and businesses without power early on Wednesday morning.
“Through today and tomorrow, what we’re still expecting is that low-pressure system over the Tasman Sea will become quite complex,” Bureau of Meteorology Senior Meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse said.
“Currently we are still expecting damaging winds across quite a broad area of eastern NSW and that extends from the northern ranges down along to the coastal parts for the Hunter, Sydney and South Coast, and we’re expecting while some of the winds may start to ease off later tonight and into tomorrow, there is a chance we could continue to see damaging winds along the coastal fringe as well as the northern ranges through tomorrow.”
Ms Woodhouse said waves up to 12m were observed on Wednesday night.
EVACUATION ORDERS IN PLACE
The SES issued a warning for those living in low-lying areas on the north and south of Burrill Lake to shelter in place, while some households at North Entrance and Wamberal have been ordered to evacuate over risk of dangerous waves that could “significantly damage buildings”.
In Sanctuary Point, about 100 homes are expected to become isolated as water levels rise, and residents have been advised to move to higher ground.
SES crews have responded to more than 2,320 incidents since the start of the event earlier this week, with 1200 volunteers working alongside emergency services to respond to the event.
In the 24 hours to 4am Wednesday alone, there were 2,160 calls to the state operations centre.
There have been 7 flood rescues, all in the Illawarra and South Coast.
NSW SES Deputy Commissioner Debbie Platz said the system was “dynamic” and “complicated” urging the community to stay vigilant.
“It was indeed a very wild night for many people across the east coast of NSW,” she said.
“Flash flooding does remain a key concern to us as the rain continues to fall.”
NSW SES issued seven emergency warnings in the Burril Lake and Shoalhaven areas on Wednesday night impacting 335 properties.
Ms Platz said the SES has deployed helicopters and other emergency assets to assist with damage assessments.
“We did see conditions deteriorate overnight with 150mm of rain in some areas and 200mm in Ulladulla area.”
“Seven flood rescue activations took place with vehicles ending up in flooded waters.”
DEMOUNTABLES BLOWN OVER
In Cronulla, in Sydney’s south, three demountable sheds have been blown over on to the road.
Incredible pictures show the sheds, from the second floor of a construction site on Gerrale St, close to South Cronulla Beach, laying on their side with police blocking off the road.
Gusts of up to 130km/h were recorded in the area in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
RESIDENTS DISCONNECTED
More than a thousand properties have been left without internet in the Hunter Valley, Central Coast and Illawarra and South Coast regions.
The National Broadband Network (NBN) confirmed 1012 services have been impacted by power outages caused by the severe weather battering the east coast.
On Wednesday morning more than 40,000 Endeavor Energy, Ausgrid and Essential Energy customers have been left without electricity with falling trees and powerlines causing unplanned outages.
“As the wild weather continues into the morning, there could be more outages throughout the day – as well as flooding and hidden hazards, particularly around fallen or damaged trees,” Ausgrid said in a statement on Wednesday.
120MM OF RAIN IN SIX HOURS
BOM senior meteorologist Jonathan How said heavy rainfall could occur south of Wollongong, with heavy falls also reaching up to Sydney.
Residents could be pelted with up to 120mm of rain over a six-hour period, which could lead to flash flooding, he said.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a fresh flood warning for the Shoalhaven River, with minor flooding now possible at Nowra and Terara.
As of Wednesday morning, the river was rising steadily reaching 1.78m at Nowra, forecast to peak at 2.30m around midday, and 1.66m at Terara, expected to reach 2.20m by early afternoon.
The low pressure system will push north on Wednesday and continue lashing the coast with strong winds.
Later in the day another low pressure system is expected to appear that will intensify and reinforce the winds and rain across the NSW south coast.
Conditions are not expected to ease until late Thursday – by which time rainfall totals in the area south of Wollongong could have exceeded 200mm.
The BOM has warned gusty winds and dangerous conditions may linger into the end of the week.
“By Friday, mostly dry and sunny conditions will return to much of the East Coast, with season swells decreasing as well some river rain flooding may continue through the end of the week,” A BOM spokerperson said.
Waves along the coast could exceed 6m as they hit the shore.
“With winds set to intensify and heavy rain continuing and the addition of coastal hazards, we could see some dangerous conditions out there over the next few days,” Mr How said.
‘STAY HOME’
Millions have been told to stay home amid the freak weather event as ferry, bus and train services are impacted or outright cancelled.
Dozens of roads have been flooded in areas such as Byron Bay and Jervis Bay, while highways in Sydney have also experienced flash flooding.
A widespread flood watch is active across the Hunter, Central Coast, Tablelands, Illawarra, and South Coast, with minor to moderate flooding expected in the coming days. Flood warnings are already in effect for the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers in NSW and the St George’s Basin in Victoria.
East Gippsland is also on alert, with minor flood warnings issued for the Cann and Genoa rivers, where significant river rises are likely on Wednesday.
Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins warned commuters to stay home if they had that option.
“Whether you’re travelling by car or catching public transport please allow plenty of extra time to get to your destination,” Mr Collins said.
Train services along the T1 North Shore Line were cancelled late on Tuesday due to flooding on the tracks at Town Hall.
Around 30,000 people were left without power, including 13,000 in the Newcastle area, due to the storm.
Multiple ferry routes have also been cancelled.
People who have lost power are likely to continue going without throughout Wednesday.
Since the storm started the NSW SES have responded to more than 900 call-out statewide, but the agency warned that incidents are increasing.
