Weather: Urgent flood warnings issued as storms and heavy rain batter Australia’s coastline
A possible severe thunderstorm looks set to dump even more rain on Sydney as an ongoing wet spell continues.
Severe weather warnings have been issued for parts of the NSW south coast as 70 to 200mm of rain could fall.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting some rain in and around Sydney on Saturday, with the possibility of thunderstorms near the coast that could become severe.
Surfing conditions will be tough, the agency predicts. Dangerous surf warnings are in effect for the coasts of Macquarie, Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra on Saturday, and for Hunter and Sydney on Sunday.
Parts of the NSW south coast have been warned of severe weather as 70 to 200mm of rain could fall
Earlier, an agency meteorologist said there was the potential for severe thunderstorms around the Sydney and Illawarra metropolitan area, bringing heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding.
Somewhere between 20 and 45mm of rain is expected around Sydney on Saturday, while three to 20mm of rain is expected on Sunday.
There was a chance of 200mm of rain in 24 hours in some southern parts of the state and a flood warning would be issued, the meteorologist said.
Somewhere between 20 and 45mm of rain is expected around Sydney on Saturday, with three to 20mm of rain forecast for Sunday
The agency has warned that heavy rainfall from Saturday morning to Sunday could lead to flash flooding in northern parts of the South Coast, southern parts of the Illawarra, eastern parts of the Southern Tablelands and far north-eastern parts of the Snowy Mountains districts.
‘Rainfall per six hours totals between 70 and 90mm, with isolated cases of 100 to 120mm possible. 24 hourly totals of between 80 and 120mm are likely and isolated falls of up to 200mm are possible across areas,” the forecast reads.
Sydney has broken its record rainfall from early May, with almost 150mm recorded in the Observatory Hill gauge since the start of the month.
The agency estimates that up to four millimeters could fall on Monday and that there is a 20 percent chance of some rain on Tuesday. If the rain clouds stay away, Sydney’s 13-day wet streak will end.
This weekend’s storm is expected to reach southern Queensland and northern Victoria.
Sydney has broken its record rainfall from early May, with almost 150mm recorded in the Observatory Hill gauge since the start of the month