Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle set to reach category three as NSW wet weather causes flash flooding

Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is forecast to intensify to a severe Category 3 storm as hurricane-force winds batter parts of Queensland and NSW is affected by flash flooding.

The massive storm cell remained a category two storm on Thursday, sitting to the northeast of Mackay and tracking southeast at about 15 km/h.

It has been floating around 800km offshore and as it moves south it is expected to bring strong winds and swells to parts of northern Queensland.

By Friday, the Bureau anticipates the system intensifying to a category three, on a collison course with Norfolk Island, bringing destructive winds between 100 mph and 145 mph.

By Friday, the Office anticipates that the system will intensify to a category three, bringing with it winds between 165 km/h and 224 km/h. The Bureau issued a warning to Norfolk Island as the system’s track has changed and landfall is expected Saturday night.

The storm was originally predicted to bypass all parts of Australia as it moves south before shifting to the east, but the Met Office has now issued a warning to Norfolk Island because the track has changed.

It is now expected to make landfall on the small Australian island on Saturday night or early Sunday.

“Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to intensify and move southeast with increased speed over the next day or two, this will most likely carry the cyclone near or over Norfolk Island on Saturday and Sunday,” it said. the Office in a statement. alert.

There are around 2,200 people residing on Norfolk Island and their cyclone response plan has been started.

New South Wales was hit with heavy rain and thunderstorms on its east coast on Thursday (pictured)

The Bureau said the storm caused life-threatening flooding in Sydney, Wollongong and on the south coast as far as Huskisson, describing the weather system as “very dangerous” (pictured shows damage from flash floods and landslides in Coalcliff north of Wollongong)

Meanwhile, on Thursday, New South Wales was hit with heavy rain and thunderstorms on its east coast.

The Bureau said the storm caused life-threatening flooding in Sydney, Wollongong and all the way up the south coast to Huskisson.

The flash flooding was so severe that one woman could only stand and watch as her car was swept out to sea by the wet weather.

Video from Stanwell Park showed the vehicle floating into the ocean as bystanders gasped, as a woman exclaimed, “That car is going into the ocean… oh no.”

On Thursday afternoon, NSW SES responded to more than 600 calls for help as heavy rains battered the east coast of the state.

The flash floods were so severe that a woman could only stand and watch as her car was swept out to sea by the wet weather (pictured)

On Thursday afternoon, NSW SES responded to more than 600 calls for help as heavy rains battered the east coast of the state.

Torrential rain first hit areas south of Sydney and caused major road closures, with a road connecting Wollongong to Sydney cut off by increased flooding.

Wollongong was also partially under water after the sudden downpour, with the south coast receiving almost 120mm of rain since 9am today.

Sydney Airport faced a beating with planes taking off 50 minutes late and planes arriving more than an hour late.

Elsewhere, flooding cut off roads from Coalcliff to Clifton, in Berkeley and Dapto, as well as from Thirroul to Stanwell Park.

Damage caused by flash floods and landslides in Coalcliff north of Wollongong on Thursday

Muddy storm water is seen flowing into the ocean caused by flash floods and landslides in Stanwell Park, north Wollongong