“We opened Narrabeen Lagoon last night, but it closed again naturally because the lagoon level was roughly the same as the ocean,” mayor Sue Heins said. “The lagoon level needs to be higher to beat the waves. Our contractor is onsite again, trying to keep the channel open, to allow water to escape.
“We have also lowered Manly Dam levels, to provide more flood storage, and expect to open Manly Lagoon sometime today.”
But Lismore, which experienced horrifying floods in 2022, appears to have escaped the worst of the system. The Wilsons River peaked lower than expected last night, peaking at 3.80 metres through Lismore at about 3.00am on Friday morning.
At 10am on Friday, the bureau removed its flooding warning for the town.
More than 100 domestic flights and in and out of Sydney Airport were cancelled at Sydney Airport, with dozens more delayed.
Rain damaged essential signalling equipment at Redfern Station early on Friday morning, causing significant delays to rail commuters across the city.
“Trains are running frequently but, trips may take longer than normal, and stops may change at short notice,” Transport for NSW wrote on social media.
Nine schools are closed across the state, including seven public schools and two independent schools.
Schools closed across the state:
- Baryulgil Public School
- Coffee Camp Public School
- Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre
- Megalong Public School
- North Star Public School
- Orama Public School
- Tulloona Public School
- AI-Faisal College, Auburn
- Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula School, Eungella
NSW Premier Chris Minns, speaking from the NSW SES headquarters, said seven rescues had been performed by the agency so far on Friday, with more expected.
“It’s crucially important that people in NSW understand the risks – that they don’t take unnecessary risks,” he said. “It is a volatile event, and we need to make sure that we’ve got the latest information.”
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Source Agencies