High winds as storm moves from NSW

Damaging winds gusting up to 90kmh are forecast to whip through coastal NSW as a low-pressure system that lashed southeast Queensland moves further south.

NSW seems to have been spared the worst of a second east coast low in June.

Across the state, residents and emergency services had been bracing for another onslaught of heavy rains and winds a fortnight after another storm caused widespread flooding.

But much of the carnage wrought earlier this month wasn't repeated and the rain and wind is heading down to the state's southeast.

Conditions are predicted to improve throughout Tuesday afternoon.

"It looks like we have dodged a bullet in NSW," SES acting deputy commissioner Mark Morrow said.

But a severe weather warning remains in place, with the Bureau of Meteorology saying damaging gusts are predicted from Tenterfield in the state's north to Eden, near the Victorian border, during Tuesday.

It may affect people around Armidale, Newcastle, Maitland, Nowra, Bowral and Katoomba.

"A vigorous westerly airstream is likely," the BoM said.

The weekend's weather was gloomy and dumped more than 100mm of rain in parts of the state's north and the heaviest-hit sections of Sydney experienced rainfalls around 35mm, with 39mm saturating Frenchs Forest and more predicted.

Fears that Sydney's Warragamba Dam would spill have eased, but authorities are keeping a watch as the water level sits at nearly 98 per cent.

WaterNSW tweeted on Monday that the Warragamba Catchment received 27mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

The SES received more than 500 calls for help and six flood rescues were performed, but no one was injured.

Most calls were for assistance clearing fallen trees and patching damaged roofs.

Coastal erosion was not as significant as it was earlier this month after a low-pressure system combined with heavy rain and king tides and caused surging waves to smash into and rip chunks of the NSW coast into the sea.

Two men were also killed during those storms, which left several beachside Sydney mansions teetering on the eroded coast and a multi-million dollar clean up bill.

While authorities in NSW are breathing a sigh of relief, their Queensland counterparts are busy dealing with the damage caused there.

A mini tornado ripped through the Sunshine Coast and many parts of the state's southeast recorded more than 100mm of rain in just a few hours.

Some spots copped double.

The Brisbane suburbs of Toowong and Mitchelton both got more than 170mm, while Warner, north of the city, received 199mm.


 

Add a Comment