Clean up underway as NSW residents remain on flood watch

Major flood warnings are currently in place for the Upper Nepean River, Colo River and Hawkesbury and Lower Nepean Rivers this morning.

The Hawkesbury River at Windsor is sitting at 9.35 metres, and is expected to peak at 9.60 metres later this morning with a moderate flooding risk.

River levels in Sydney’s north-west are continuing to fall.

The Bureau of Meteorology has said the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond is set to fall to the moderate flood level of 7.90m, after peaking at 10.52m at 9pm yesterday.

There are 32 emergency alerts active across Sydney’s north-west this morning, affecting around 3600 residents.

A Watch and Act warning is currently in place for flash flooding occurring in northern parts of Coffs Harbour, including low-lying communities at North Boambee.

The State Emergency Service said heavy rain overnight led Coffs Creek and Newport Creek to rise quickly sparking flash flooding across roads, bridges, causeways and parks.

The Bureau of Meteorology said although rainfall has eased across parts of NSW the weather system has caused flooding in the state’s catchments.

“Flood producing rainfall is no longer expected across NSW,” the Bureau said in an update this morning.

“The inland and coastal trough which brought heavy rainfall has moved southward and will move into the Tasman Sea on Sunday.”

Low-lying parts of Freemans Reach, parts of Cattai, northern part of Pitt Town, Ebenezer, Pitt Town Bottoms were added to the growing list of emergency warnings just before 2am.

Parts of Sackville were among the first to be evacuated, ordered to leave by 10.30pm on Saturday night, while parts of Richmond Lowlands were given until midnight.

Residents in low-lying parts of Freemans reach were told to be out by 1am and parts of Agnes Banks, North of Bligh Park and Angus all had till 2am.

South-east Queensland set for drenching

The Bureau is warning the south-east Queensland region to prepare for isolated heavy falls, possibly between 50 or 60mm.

A total of 100 millimetres could fall across Logan, the Scenic Rim, and the Gold Coast today.

Heavy falls from a storm system had been mostly isolated to Queensland’s north-west but there are fears risk of flooding could intensify if the system combines with a coastal trough.

There is a major flooding warning still in place for the Warrego River in Charleville, which peaked at 7.6 metres.

Flood gates protected Charleville from the worst of the flooding although roads in and out of the town remain flooded.