Sydney to cop drenching after South Coast lashed by low

Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms are expected to sweep through Sydney on Saturday as five-metre waves batter the coast.

Some suburbs could experience up to 70 millimetres of rain as the low-pressure system hits the city after wreaking havoc on the NSW South Coast, where potential flash flooding prompted warnings for holidaymakers to leave campgrounds or risk being trapped by rising waters.

“The forecast is showing quite a wide range, and that’s when thunderstorms are key contributors to rain,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines said. “Some suburbs [of Sydney] closer to the coast might cop the brunt of it – 50 to 70 millimetres – while other parts could get 10 to 20 millimetres.”

Cronulla Beach has been included in a damaging surf warning for waves as high as five metres, but Hines warned the monster swell could also be experienced in Sydney beaches north of the Sutherland Shire on Saturday.

“It could push into the Sydney coastline. Rough seas are expected on Sydney’s waters … it could be dangerous coastal conditions,” he said.

Up to 120 millimetres of rainfall is forecast in some parts of NSW over the next three days, while heavy storms could push isolated rainfalls up to 200 millimetres.

Hines warned that the weather event would “not wrap up quickly”, and that rainfall would be “piling into soaked parts of southern NSW throughout the course of the weekend”.

The NSW South Coast was pounded by the low-pressure trough on Friday, prompting 123 calls for assistance to the State Emergency Service (SES).

A fallen tree and flash flooding on the Princes Highway trapped 40 vehicles for three hours at Eden, while more than 100 people were temporarily stranded at a golf club after surrounding areas were inundated with rain.

The severe weather follows flash flooding that washed away vehicles and flooded campgrounds in Victoria.

The SES responded to over 274 incidents across NSW on Friday, while crews visited high-risk areas, including popular campgrounds along the South Coast, to warn holidaymakers of the danger.

SES Chief Superintendent Dallas Burnes urged campers and travellers to remain vigilant while staying near rivers, lakes and coastal regions on the weekend, and cautioned against pitching tents under trees and other areas vulnerable to wild weather.

“With increased visitor numbers during the school holiday period, travellers unfamiliar with the region are urged to take extra care and check local conditions regularly,” he said.

Some campgrounds and tracks in national parks have been closed. They include Bendethera Valley campground in the Deua National Park, north-east of Cooma, the Mowarry campground access track in the Beowa National Park south-east of Eden, and some tracks in the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area.

The low-pressure trough is expected to gradually shift north over the weekend, though rainy conditions are forecast to remain in Sydney for most of next week.

The low off the eastern seaboard is responsible for the severe weather, which Hines said would present a far greater risk to coastal dwellers than those in central and western Sydney.

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