NSW residents are being urged to stay at home and in some cases evacuate as wild weather is set to rip through the state over the next four days, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
“Dangerous and life-threatening” flash flooding is sweeping down the coast, with Sydney’s Warragamba dam expected to overflow on the weekend, 9News reports.
Low lying areas of North Haven, Dunbogan, Diamond head and Foreshore areas of Laurieton are being told to evacuate by 8pm tonight. People in low lying properties in Port Macquarie have also been directed to leave.
The SES said that if you stay in an area that needs to be evacuated you could run the risk of being trapped and “it may be too dangerous for SES to rescue you.”
A severe weather waning for heavy rain, damaging winds and damaging surf has also been extended to include Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra as well as the Mid North Coast and the Hunter regions.
A Severe Weather Warning for Heavy Rain, Damaging Winds and Damaging Surf has been extended to include Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra as well as the Mid North Coast and the Hunter regions. Details at https://t.co/ZrxQsT2mi6 pic.twitter.com/RZ5TPHSLvk
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 19, 2021
Gladys Berejiklian warned those in NSW to stay at home where they can this weekend.
“Please know that this weekend is going to be quite severe in terms of weather conditions and we don’t want to see any lives lost as a result of that,” she said.
“Please follow the warnings, stay at home where you can.”
BOM’s senior climatologist Agata Imielska said that up to 100mm of rain is falling every hour, making conditions very dangerous. But warned that rainfall tomorrow will be “substantially heavier and potentially more dangerous” as it moves south.
“In Sydney, for example, we have seen some rainfall over the last few days, it is really important for Sydneysiders to be mindful, reconsider changing their plans,” she said.
To stay up to date with the latest weather updates, head to the SES Facebook page and the BOM website and social media.
