Flash flooding hits Sydney as heavy rain lashes the city

More than 100 millimetres of rainfall fell across Sydney’s city and south-west in three hours on Thursday night, triggering 42 urgent rescues and about 12 evacuations as homes were inundated and people were stranded by rising floodwaters.

A slow-moving thunderstorm unleashed flash floods, triggering almost 500 calls for assistance across Sydney, shutting roads and wreaking havoc on the evening commute.

Parts of western Sydney, including Fairfield and Lidcombe, were among the areas worst hit by flash flooding.

Significant rainfall forced residents in Spring Street, Fairfield to be evacuated as their properties were inundated, while six people were rescued at a park in nearby Vine Street, after they became stranded by rising floodwaters.

Commuters were stuck on the Anzac Bridge for up to two hours after rising waters closed parts of the City West Link and Parramatta Road. Raw Square in Strathfield was also closed by flash flooding.

Trains were cancelled for the night between Lidcombe and Bankstown due to flooding on the tracks at Regents Park.

There were 495 calls for assistance in the metropolitan region in the 24 hours to 6am on Friday, prompting more than 250 State Emergency Service members to response to the extreme weather.

Meteorologist Jonathan How said the thunderstorms “dumped lots of rain” across Sydney, including up to 122 millimetres at Lidcombe and 83 millimetres in the city, but was “fairly localised”, hitting some suburbs far harder than others.

“If you were right under the storm you got smashed, but if you were away from the storm you didn’t see as much rainfall ... it was a compact but very powerful storm,” How said.

Lidcombe experienced 109 millimetres in the six hours to 9.45pm, and most of the western suburbs had 74 millimetres in the three hours to midnight.

NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said the flooding presented a “real risk” which could occur “quickly [and] without much warning”.

The rain system described as a “very dangerous thunderstorm” by the Bureau of Meteorology had passed over parts of the northern beaches, the Hills district and the north-western suburbs at about 8.45pm.

A severe weather warning for heavy rainfall was issued across Sydney, parts of the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains. The bureau said the “slow-moving trough” would bring persistent showers as it moves north on Friday.

The downpour eased by 11pm on Thursday, and the rainfall continues to ease on Friday.

Meteorologist Angus Hines forecast showers to return on Friday afternoon, warning totals could rise above 40 millimetres if potential thunderstorms eventuate.

“It’s lost some of its potency compared to last night - I expect the range probably won’t be a match for what we’ve seen already,” Hines said.

Rain is expected to continue through the weekend and into early next week.

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