Unprecedented deluge is falling on millions new South Wales The worse is expected with flood warnings issued for only 11 rivers and thousands forced to flee their homes.
Sydney Northern NSW and southern regions are expected to hit wet weather on Wednesday and Thursday queensland were devastated by floods and heavy rains
Severe weather warnings were issued for damaging winds and heavy rainfall in parts of Sydney, the South Coast and the Hunter Coast, with 200 mm of rain forecast for more than six hours.
Hazardous weather conditions are expected in Hunter from south of Newcastle to as far north as Eden on the south coast and as far inland as the Blue Mountains.
Sydneysiders in low-lying areas are on high alert after the Bureau of Meteorology issued multiple flood warnings for the west, north-west and south-west of the city on Wednesday morning.
The state emergency service has warned residents in the inner city of Marrickville about possible flooding.
Flood warnings include Upper Nepean in Menangle, Hawkesbury River in Richmond windsor and Colo River in Upper Colo.
An early minor flood warning was also issued for the Georges River in Liverpool and Milpera.
The river level is rising at Menangal Bridge along the Bureau Nepean River, where there is a possibility of minor flooding on Wednesday morning and may rise to moderate flooding levels on Wednesday afternoon.
Houses are seen on the banks of a raging Clarence River in Grafton, about 130 km from the New South Wales city of Lismore, on March 1
Residents north-west of Sydney have been warned of possible flooding from the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, with many sanding their homes in preparation.
Travelers have been warned to stay home if they can on Tuesday as heavy rain is expected in Sydney (Picture: a woman passing through Sydney)
The Nepean River is expected to reach its minor flood level of 5.2 meters on Wednesday morning and reach its moderate flood level of 9.2 meters within hours.
The Hawkesbury River could also experience moderate flooding in northern Richmond within hours.
Thunderstorms with damaging winds and heavy to torrential rains can also cause flash floods along the length of the coast from Hunter Downs to Bega on the south coast, with unusually high tides and severe warnings of damaging surf.
Premier Dominique Perrot on Wednesday asked residents to ‘show caution’ when making their way into the city.
‘Of course we want people to come back to the Sydney CBD but based on the advice of the Bureau (meteorology) this is going to be a tough week in our city as we see heavy rain coming from the north.
‘After all, right now we tell the people of our city and our state, take care of yourself, follow the advice and stay safe.’
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast that 120 mm of rain, which could lead to flash floods, could fall in these areas over a six-hour period on Wednesday morning.
A total of 200 mm of rain is possible in Sydney on Wednesday alone, followed by another 20 to 45 mm on Thursday.
Damaging winds of up to 90 km/h are also forecast for the NSW coast from Wednesday, while damaging surf conditions and unusually high tides are also on the horizon for areas south of Forster.
The Warragamba Dam is expected to collapse on Wednesday, reaching 99 per cent capacity on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday night, 350,000 NSW residents had been given evacuation orders or warnings, of whom 1,000 had been rescued.
The deluge on thousands of residents around New South Wales is expected to get worse for Sydneysiders in the coming days (Floods pictured in Cabarita, northern NSW)
Heavy rain has hit northern NSW, with Sydney, Hunter and the South Coast now expected to bear the brunt (pictured, volunteers handing out supplies at Fingal on Tuesday)
Damaging winds of up to 90 km/h are also forecast for the NSW coast from Wednesday (houses pictured submerged in Ballina on Tuesday)
As the flood waters rose rapidly, Ballina Hospital was forced to move its staff and patients to a nearby high school.
Fifty patients were taken from the hospital to Xavier Catholic College, where a temporary emergency department is being set up for any others in need of urgent care.
All patients have been transported with the help of NSW Ambulance and SES crew.
The Northern NSW Local Health District said: “On the advice of the local police commander, and with great care being taken to protect the health and safety of patients and staff.”
An almost completely submerged lamp post is seen in Grafton in NSW on Tuesday (pictured)
Ballina Hospital was forced to move its staff and patients to a nearby high school as flood waters rose rapidly
Those living in low-lying areas in Ballina and Lennox Head were earlier asked to leave on Tuesday evening amid inclement weather.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrot described the rain as ‘one in 1,000 years’ event.
“The worst is yet to come… River floods remain a real risk to people’s lives and we will do everything possible to get every person, every family, every business back on their feet as soon as possible, ” Said Mr. Perrot said.
‘I also want to say, we know that at the moment it is focused on the North. But very soon, as we are seeing now in metropolitan Sydney, it will move south.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned millions of people along the length of NSW’s east coast that they needed to be prepared.
‘This is a rather significant weather system, we will continue to see it move down the east coast of Australia. We will see it coming to the Central Coast and Sydney.
‘We are already experiencing elements of this, and particularly in the next 24 hours, we will see further expansion across the south coast of New South Wales. And we need to keep preparing ourselves for impacts in those areas.
More storms are yet to hit southeast Queensland, bringing days of massive hail and even more heavy rain, with flood warnings for creeks and streams between now and the weekend.
The system’s arrival in Sydney comes a week after the city was ravaged by a heavy rain that turned streets into rivers and saw the Parramatta River breach its banks.
Sydney and NSW coasts will now bear the brunt of the latest 48-hour weatherbomb explosion (pictured)
More than 300,000 residents in NSW have been given evacuation orders or warnings (pictured in Grafton)
The city has 80 to 95 per cent chance of rain every day till at least Tuesday next week.
This flood comes as Lismore reports its first death of the crisis – an 80-year-old woman found dead inside her home at around 10.20 p.m.
Earlier on Tuesday, painful footage showed residents and horses trapped on a bridge in Woodburn, south of Lismore, after being stranded overnight.
Later everyone was rescued and evacuated safely.
South-East Queensland is set to be ravaged by more storms, bringing large hail and even more heavy rain
NSW Premier Dominic Perrot previously described torrential rains as ‘one event in a 1000 years’ and warned Sydney is in line to deal with the brunt of the weather (pictured in Lismore)
A convoy of at least 20 cars and several horses is stranded on a bridge in Woodburn near Lismore in northern NSW.