Sydney and Wollongong have been battered with heavy rain and flash flooding as a extreme thunderstorm shifts north in the direction of Newcastle.
Central areas of NSW, together with areas round Dubbo, have been additionally forecast to cop a downpour.
The Bureau of Meteorology mentioned an higher trough was combining with an unstable surroundings to set off extreme thunderstorms throughout massive components of the state.
It warned of intense rainfall that might result in harmful flash flooding for components of the Central Coast, Hunter and central tablelands areas.
Bellambi, close to Wollongong, recorded 96mm of rainfall in a single hour earlier than midday, whereas additional south Shellharbour Airport recorded 73mm.
The State Emergency Service mentioned it responded to greater than 500 requires assist as rainfall lashed Sydney and the NSW south coast.
It mentioned the Illawarra area was among the many hardest hit and there had been 350 incidents and 21 flood rescues within the space.
College evacuated
Edmund Rice School in Wollongong was evacuated after flooding and Towradgi Public College contacted dad and mom about noon asking that youngsters be collected early due to the storm.
On social media, residents posted pictures of floating automobiles caught in floodwaters meters away from a seaside whereas others posted landslides of cracked roads.
Inland, cities together with Orange, Mudgee, Bathurst, Dubbo, Wellington and Nyngan have been liable to extreme storms.
In November, about 20,000 residents in central-west NSW, primarily in Bathurst, have been left with out sizzling water to bathe or ovens to cook dinner with for weeks due to floods hitting a vital gasoline pipeline.
SES state responsibility commander Colin Malone mentioned it was necessary for folks to stay up-to-date with warnings and monitor circumstances earlier than driving.
-AAP
