The Bureau of Meteorology said an upper trough bringing rain and thunderstorms to much of NSW meant persistent coastal showers would dampen vast stretches of the east coast over the weekend.
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It issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain in the South Coast, Illawarra, Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains regions on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
“Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding may develop over the northern parts of the South Coast, southern parts of the Illawarra, eastern parts of the Southern Tablelands and far northeastern parts of Snowy Mountains districts for the rest of Saturday and persist into Sunday,” the bureau said.
Meteorologist Christie Johnson said six-hourly rainfalls of between 50 and 70 millimetres were likely, with some possible downpours of 100 to 120 millimetres.
“This is rainfall falling on already wet grounds, so the water will pool and cause flash flooding. If you’re in these areas, please take care,” Johnson said.
The areas likely to be the hardest hit are Nowra, Batemans Bay, Moruya Heads, Ulladulla, Narooma and Araluen.
The downpours are expected to ease on Sunday evening.
The bureau said rain could cause minor flooding, with some moderate flooding, in parts of the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley, St Georges Basin, Bega and Moruya catchments from late on Saturday.
“People living or working along rivers and streams must monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings and be ready to move to higher ground should flooding develop,” the bureau said.
The Warragamba Dam on Saturday afternoon. Credit: Nine News
The bureau said a high-pressure system lurking near Tasmania was driving showers onto the NSW coast, bringing moderate to heavy bursts of rain and dangerous surf conditions on Saturday. More rain was predicted for the southern coast of NSW on Sunday.
“The next high-pressure system is forecast to drift across south-east Australia mid-week, promoting a return to somewhat more settled weather,” the bureau said.
Source Agencies
