Flash floods and landslide in Sydney as wild weather hits

The northern beaches have been hit by life-threatening flash floods and a landslide as hundreds of residents across Sydney called emergency services for help due to severe weather.

A woman was killed by a falling tree branch near Wollongong on Saturday afternoon and more than 25 people were rescued from cars caught on flooded roads as thunderstorms hit coastal NSW on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The situation around Narrabeen Lagoon escalated rapidly on Saturday night as rising waters affected houses and the State Emergency Service (SES) issued a warning at 10.41pm.

Residents from 60 properties and a caravan park were evacuated to higher ground with the help of Rural Fire Service volunteers and an evacuation centre set up at Mona Vale Memorial Hall. Those people were allowed to return around 9am as the flooding eased.

The 24-hour rainfall totals for Sydney included 180 millimetres at nearby Terrey Hills, 126 millimetres in the CBD, 113 at Cronulla and 140 millimetres at Camden. On the Central Coast, 242 millimetres was recorded at Woy Woy and 250 millimetres at Pearl Beach.

A slow-moving, dangerous thunderstorm caused flash flooding in Mona Vale and Palm Beach, on Sydney’s northern beaches, as 62.5 millimetres of rainfall was recorded at Avalon in the hour to 2.13pm on Saturday. Ettalong on the Central Coast had 93.5 millimetres of rainfall in the hour to 2.22pm.

A landslide affected three properties at Great Mackerel Beach on Pittwater, accessible only by water, which recorded 264 millimetres in the 24 hours to 9am on Sunday.

The woman died when the car she was driving was struck by a falling tree branch on Macquarie Pass, south of Wollongong, just before 4pm on Saturday. A man in the front seat suffered minor injuries. Two people in the rear seats were not injured.

“NSW SES crews and our emergency service partners were exceptionally busy last night assisting residents as we saw very high rainfall and dangerous flash flooding,” said SES State Duty Commander Sonya Oyston.

“There has been a lot of flash flooding which has closed roads, and we anticipate some may remain closed for some time.

“We’re asking the community to remain patient, and make safe, sensible decisions to never drive into flooded roads.”

The SES responded to over 2300 incidents around the state over the weekend. At least 1000 volunteers were on the ground on Sunday, with the busiest units in the south coast, Illawarra, Sydney and Hunter regions.

“Our volunteers and emergency service partners have been out in force today assisting with fallen trees, damaged roofs and skylights, downed powerlines, and helping residents who have had water come into their homes through ceilings, under doorways and from blocked drains,” Oyston said.

Intense local rainstorms continued to lash parts of Sydney on Sunday, and warnings remain in place for hazardous surf on the coast at beaches stretching from Newcastle to Batemans Bay and Eden.

However, the low-pressure trough was expected to weaken by the afternoon as it moved offshore.

“It remains wet and it’s going to be cloudy. But there’s no risk of those severe thunderstorms,” senior meteorologist Edward Townsend-Medlock said.

With AAP

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