Flood warnings in NSW as rain buckets down

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned residents in New South Wales to be on guard for damaging winds, abnormally high tides and floods over the weekend as wild weather lashes the state.Sydney is expected to get up to 300mm of rainfall over the next two days in what is already proving to be a tough weekend for emergency services. Thirteen flood rescues have already taken place.
“People think that it looks OK on the surface but there can be debris underneath, roads can be washed away,” the SES said.
Emergency services have been kept busy by heavy rain drenching parts of NSW, with further heavy rainfall possible over the weekend.
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The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds, heavy rain, abnormally high tides and damaging surf for the Metropolitan, Illawarra, parts of Mid North Coast, Hunter, south coast, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands.
The BOM said a trough lying along central and northern parts of the New South Wales coast is bringing persistent rain and windy conditions to many areas.
This trough is expected to deepen and gradually extend into the southern coast later today and Sunday, it said.
“Heavy rain, which will likely cause flash flooding and riverine flooding, is forecast for parts of the Mid North Coast, lower Hunter, Sydney Metropolitan, Illawarra and eastern parts of the Central Tablelands (including the Blue Mountains) forecast districts today and Sunday.
“There is potential for very heavy (torrential) rainfall and life-threatening flash-flooding in the Central Coast, Sydney Metropolitan, Illawarra and eastern parts of the Central Tablelands (including the Blue Mountains) districts, particularly overnight tonight.
“The location of the heaviest rain will be determined by the movement and strength of the coastal trough, and the development of any transient low pressure circulations embedded within it.”
Earlier, on Friday afternoon the BOM warned that extremely heavy rainfall and “life-threatening flash-flooding” was possible over the coming 24-36 hours around the Central Coast, Sydney and Illawarra regions, as well as eastern parts of the Central Tablelands.
A number of areas had significant falls including Byron Bay which recorded 283mm at Belongil Creek Bridge in the 24 hours to 9am Friday.
Mt Elliot on the Central Coast received 146mm between 9am and 4pm on Friday, while Palm Grove had 104mm in the same period.
A severe weather warning was in place on Friday night, stretching along the coast from the Mid North Coast to south coast regions.
“A coastal trough near the northern and central NSW coast is bringing increased rainfall and other severe weather to the area,” the warning said.
“This trough is expected to deepen and gradually shift southward, increasing rainfall and bringing dangerous winds and surf conditions along the central and southern parts of the coast and adjacent ranges during the next few days.”
BOM has issued a gale wind warning for the Sydney coast and closed waters, Hunter coast and Illawarra coast, and a strong wind warning for the Batemans coast and Eden coast on Saturday.
A hazardous surf warning is also in place for the Macquarie, Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra and Batemans coasts.