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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Stephanie Convery and Matilda Boseley (earlier)

Flood havoc as Central Coast braces for 4.5m swells – as it happened

Sydney New South Wales NT Queensland Australia Bureau of Meteorology Peter Dutton Russia Central Coast SES
Flood waters at The Boathouse restaurant
Flood waters rise around The Boathouse restaurant at Shelly Beach in the Sydney suburb of Manly as torrential rain continues to batter the NSW capital. Photograph: Ranya Alkadamani/AAP

And that’s where we’ll leave you for this evening.

It’s been a wild day of weather in New South Wales, as floodwaters inundated much of the city and evacuation orders were issued for many low-lying metropolitan residential areas of Sydney. The NSW SES issued 64 evacuation orders, covering 52,723 people. At the time of writing, there were also 17 evacuation warnings in place for another 18,000 people.

The city’s dams are overflowing, rivers breaking their banks, roads have been blocked, schools closed and much of the damage done over the past 16 days of rain has yet to be revealed.

The death toll from the floods has continued to rise, with another two bodies found in floodwaters in western Sydney, believed to be a missing mother and son.

Meanwhile, the New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has apologised for his government’s response to the flooding crisis in the state’s north, while Peter Dutton has told Australians “to look at the positives” of help being provided to devastated communities.

Up in Queensland, also flood-stricken, authorities have announced the appointment of a “recovery coordinator” – essentially the head defence force officer – who will be overseeing the clean-up, temporary relocations and rebuilding efforts.

Elsewhere, a man aged in his 60s from northern Victoria has died from Japanese encephalitis, one of seven confirmed cases in the state and the first known death this year.

Australia has issued further sanctions against Russia, including against 16 individuals – six military figures and 10 “people of strategic interest to Russia for their role in encouraging hostility towards Ukraine,” according to the foreign minister Marise Payne.

Plus there was all today’s Covid news, and you can find the national numbers for today here.

Thanks for sticking with us. Stay dry, if you can, and stay safe. See you tomorrow.

Here’s a little video wrap of the day in floods.

Another flood-related evacuation order in NSW, this time for McGraths Hill and Mulgrave.

Updated

Victorian man dies from Japanese encephalitis

A man aged in his 60s from northern Victoria has died from Japanese encephalitis, according to a statement from the Victorian Department of Health.

The man died on 28 February, and the cause of death was diagnosed by autopsy.

A department spokesperson said:

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We strongly advise people take steps to limit their exposure to mosquitoes and avoid mosquito habitats such as stagnant water.

According to the department, there have been seven confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis virus, or JEV, in Victorian residents this year, and one death.

JEV is a mosquito-borne virus. Most people who contract JEV will have no or very mild symptoms and fully recover but anyone who develops a sudden onset of fever, headache, vomiting as well as seizures or disorientation should seek urgent medical attention.

A Japanese encephalitis vaccine is available and is recommended by the health authorities for people who work with or around pigs, including transport workers or vets who visit pig farms and those who cull or hunt pigs, as well as those who have increased exposure to mosquitoes.

Children aged under 5 and older people are at higher risk of developing serious illness.

Read more about JEV here:

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology has finally cancelled a thunderstorm warning for Sydney after having one up there for hours.

Big rainfall totals today include:

  • 102mm of rain recorded at Monavale Golf Club in the 3 hours to 3:30 pm.
  • 124mm at Forestville in the 6 hours to 1:40 pm.
  • 118.5mm at Allambie in the 6 hours to 1:30 pm.
  • 128.5mm at Mosman in the 6 hours to 12:30 pm.

Meanwhile the NSW SES has no fewer than 64 evacuation orders in place, covering 52,723 people. There are also 17 evacuation warnings in place for another 18,000 people.

Among the most recent orders to leave include Narrabeen on Sydney’s northern beaches. Those beaches are also being hammered by hazardous surf that will last into Thursday for a lot of the NSW coast.

Fortunately, the forecasts also point the east coast low heading off into the Tasman Sea, but windy conditions will last for another day. And then a bit of sunshine for a day or so for Sydney at least.

Updated

People living in low-lying areas in Camden have been inundated with rain, the river spilling out onto surrounding streets, causing road closures and traffic chaos.

The Nepean River at Camden Weir peaked at 12.04 metres earlier today.

The BP at Argyle Street, Camden, is underwater.
The BP at Argyle Street, Camden, is underwater. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian

Patrick Mavroidis lives in Kirkham, next to Camden, and had been watching flood waters rise on his parent’s property, anxious as it inched closer to the highest level in the past 100 years.

We had heavy rains last night, but we didn’t expect it to get this high. We received an evacuation order, but I told my mum, we’ve got nowhere else to go. But look, if the water crosses the 100-year line, we may have to re-evaluate.

It’s disheartening, honestly. I’ve lived here my whole life, and it happened twice. There’s just a sense of anxiety that hangs in the air while we wait.

Kirkham resident Patrick Mavroidis flies his drone on Macquarie Grove Road.
Kirkham resident Patrick Mavroidis flies his drone on Macquarie Grove Road. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian

Mavroidis said some of his friends had seen their businesses severely affected by the floods and the community was struggling.

It’s pretty rough, I’ve got a couple of mates in Picton who lost their businesses from this. To see them go through this again is hard.

And then after the flood waters recede, there’s the cleanup, it could take ages to get done, and for us to recover.

Updated

There’s a lot of interest in what has been happening to Sydney’s dams, which as you may not be surprised to know are again at 100% capacity today, and most are spilling.

The biggest of those dams is Warragamba, which makes up a monster 80% of Sydney’s total storage.

Here’s what we know about its spills – now coming off its peak rate of 400 gigalitres a day (or about 80% of one Sydney Harbour).

Downstream is the (flood-prone) Hawkesbury-Nepean rivers, where flood levels are at close to or above last March’s peak levels. In places such as North Richmond, those levels are still rising.

Updated

Residents in western Sydney living near the Nepean and Georges rivers were issued with evacuation orders on Monday night amid rising floodwaters and heavy rainfall.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued multiple flood warnings as the Nepean River peaked at 15.91 metres at the Menangle Bridge and the Georges River peaked at Liverpool Bridge at 4.39 metres.

Locals in Chipping Norton said they were accustomed to rising river levels but hadn’t anticipated it would flood so quickly this time.

The Guardian spoke to Anthony Lippis, a truck driver who lives just off Newbridge Road who lost his car to the flood waters, as well as the first level of his home. He had been driving his dinghy up and down the now inundated road with his brother in law, helping his neighbours and making sure everyone was safe.

We’re not joy riding up and down this street. We do it for a reason because we know from experience that people usually need help. We’ve been out since 4am.

We don’t really feel supported either, we didn’t get the evacuation message until 1.15am this morning and we were already underwater by then.

Angelo Testa and Oliver Bucha also steered their dinghy along their street in Chipping Norton, helping neighbours and transporting supplies.

Testa, a boat broker, said the first level of his parent’s home was completely under water, and that it was the second time in three days their home had flooded.

We had a guy walking through last night, with water up to his neck. We picked him up and took him to the end of the street. We’ve had people stuck in their houses, who had initially decided to wait out the flood but found they couldn’t.

But we can’t really complain, we’ve seen what’s happening in Lismore and Queensland, this water will go down. It is what it is.

Chipping Norton resident Angelo Testa and friend Oliver Bucharest drive their dinghy up and down the flooded road to check in on neighbours.
Chipping Norton resident Angelo Testa and friend Oliver Bucharest drive their dinghy up and down the flooded road to check in on neighbours. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian

Updated

The New South Wales education department is urging parents to get in touch with their children’s school directly or check the school’s social media pages for an update to see if they are closed due to flooding.

Over 200 schools were closed across the state because of the wild weather, with some in western Sydney forced to evacuate students due to rising floodwaters.

A spokesperson for the education department said:

Due to varied local circumstances, principals will directly communicate the student travel arrangements to their community.

Students and parents are reminded to please stay safe. Never enter flood water. If it’s flooded, forget it!

Flood water may be deeper or faster flowing than it appears and can contain hidden debris.

Keep up to date through the Live Traffic NSW, BoM and SES websites.

For updates about your child’s school visit the department’s school safety webpage.

Updated

An evacuation order is now in force for Narrabeen:

One of Australia’s largest philanthropic donors to medical research has suspended ties with the University of Melbourne after last week’s awarding of honorary doctorates to six white men.

The Snow Medical Research Foundation informed the University of Melbourne on Monday that it had suspended the institution from its Snow Fellowship program, as its “outcomes on gender equality and diversity do not align with the values of Snow Medical”.

The nonprofit donated $24m to the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus and last year granted two Snow Fellowships, totalling $16m, to the institution.

Snow Medical said in a statement:

Unfortunately, last week the University of Melbourne awarded their most prestigious award, their honorary doctorate, to six white men.

Further, in the last three years, not a single honorary doctorate has been awarded to women or someone of non-white descent. This is unacceptable.

Read the full story:

Updated

These photos from NSW Public Transport show flood waters over the train lines at Bardwell Park in south-west Sydney.

Train line flooded at Bardwell Park on the T8 line in south-west Sydney.
Train line flooded at Bardwell Park on the T8 line in south-west Sydney. Photograph: NSW Public Transport
Train line flooded at Bardwell Park on the T8 line in south-west Sydney, NSW, Australia.
More flooding at Bardwell Park. Photograph: NSW Public Transport

Updated

More footage of flooding in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly.

Sydney’s Roseville Bridge appears to be open again, after being absolutely inundated with water earlier today. A reminder that authorities have urged people in Sydney to avoid nonessential travel today.

Sorry Queensland, looks like there are more storms on the way tomorrow...

The suspension of mutual obligation for jobseekers and others on Centrelink payments has been extended until 17 March.

A Department of Education, Skills and Employment spokesperson told Guardian Australia on Tuesday the suspension would apply to the following regions:

  • QLD: Brisbane South East, Darling Downs, Somerset, Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast, Wivenhoe, Gold Coast.
  • NSW: North Coast, Sydney Greater West, Sydney South West, Sydney North and West, Illawarra South Coast, Hunter, Mid North Coast

Before the announcement, mutual obligation requirements – such as job search and job agency appointments – had been scheduled to resume on Wednesday.

For more information, jobseekers can visit this government webpage.

Floods are causing “mayhem” around the Manly area, with some parents unable to pick up their children from school and those out on the streets greeted by flash flooding.

One video of Mackellar Girls shows students inside their classroom this afternoon watching as a white BMW floated past the room.

“It’s going in a pretty straight line, to be honest,” one of the students can be heard saying. “They better have insurance.”

One parent at the school said her daughter had to wade through water to get out of the school.

An email was sent about 1pm advising us to pick up kids from Quirk Rd. They were calling kids’ names as we arrived over the loud speaker to leave.

Water was over the top of cars and spilling into the bottom levels of the lower blocks. My daughter had to walk through knee-deep water to get out as she was in the hall. The hall had started to flood as it’s on Campbell Parade side.

On Facebook, another parent said she could not get to the school safely in time, and that her daughter had been moved to a higher level until the rain subsided. The NSW Education Department said it was working on a statement but it’s believed the school has now been evacuated.

“Manly Vale is where Mackellar is and all water from the dam flows that way! It’s mayhem around here,” the parent said.

The Roseville Bridge has flooded, with images showing cars unable to cross.

Resident Roslyn Jan said she went into an appointment at the Audiologist in Dee Why for an hour, and when she came back out the roads were flooded.

[There was] 10-20cm flooding in areas on Dee Why Parade and Oaks Avenue. I have a low car, a Honda Integra, so I headed home.

Another video posted by a resident who lives near Pittwater Road showed the water level had risen to just under the door handle of a car. Vehicles were stranded in the middle of the road.

“Yeah, we are locked in. Flooded,” she said.

Updated

More damage from Sydney’s rain – a reminder that with this much rain about, it’s not just floods to be wary of but landslips too.

As you might have seen earlier, the Roseville Bridge in Sydney has been shut to all traffic as severe flooding traps multiple cars.

Water is cascading off the bridge, which, despite being 17m above the river, is struggling to drain after being inundated with rain.

There are heavy delays on Warringah Road on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. The bridge is one of two points to cross Middle Harbour, connecting Sydney’s northern beaches with the north shore. It comes as an evacuation warning has been issued for low-lying properties near Manly Dam amid rising water levels.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a road alert for all of Sydney on Tuesday due to poor visibility, slippery roads and flash flooding.

Updated

The rainfall in the Sydney region for 2021-22 has jumped well into the top 10% of wettest years, with Bureau of Meteorology records suggesting this is about the seventh wettest summer on record for Observatory Hill.

The chart below shows how the cumulative rainfall for 2021-22 compares with long-term averages.

The purple shaded section indicates wetter-than-average years, so if the red line for 2021-22 goes above this, it indicates an unusually high level of rainfall (the top 10% of years by total rainfall). You can use the dropdown menu to switch between locations.

You can see more rainfall and flood graphics here.

Updated

Central Coast expecting 4.5m swells and coastal erosion

The Central Coast is bracing for swells of 4.5m this evening and into Wednesday, bringing dangerous surf conditions with winds of up to 25km/h.

Central Coast Council said it was on alert for potential flooding and further storm erosion of lakes, waterways, beaches and roads as an east coast low hits the region:

Crews are monitoring significant erosion particularly on some of the more northern beaches of the Coast such as Soldiers Beach, North Entrance Beach and Lakes Beaches, as well as some minor erosion around Terrigal lagoon due to high tides and waves.

We are continually monitoring coastal erosion along the Coast’s beaches with identified issues currently limited to beach access infrastructure in some of our northern beach locations.

We are also continuing to send further construction crews out to impacted regions across the coast to mobilise our combined flood and storm recovery efforts.

Earlier this week, a Natural Disaster Declaration was made for the Central Coast, enabling flood assistance for those affected by the storms.

Localised heavy downpours and flash flooding have hit Gosford, while a flood evacuation warning has also been issued by NSW SES for parts of Wisemans Ferry, which has been closed.

The river height is expected to exceed the major flood level of 4.2m today and into tomorrow. Flash flooding may also hit Woy Woy, Davistown, Empire Bay, Booker Bay and West Gosford with heavy rain and high tides from Brisbane Waters.

At 8.15am today, the Hawkesbury River was recorded at 4.61m at Wisemans Ferry, above the major flood level of 4.2m. Further rises were possible.

All Central Coast beaches are currently closed.

Updated

This appears to be Mackellar Girls Campus in Manly Vale – another northern beaches suburb of Sydney inundated with water.

NT records one death from Covid-19 with 45 people in hospital

The Northern Territory today reported the death of a male in his 60s with Covid-19.

The man was from Darwin, had underlying health conditions, and passed away at Royal Darwin Hospital, the NT government said today.

There were 437 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in the NT yesterday. There are currently 45 people in hospital with Covid-19, with 12 requiring oxygen. There is one patient in ICU.

Updated

SA records 97 people in hospital with Covid-19 with 13 in intensive care

The state has recorded no new deaths from Covid, with 2,087 cases recorded over the last 24 hours.

Flooding in Pittwater Road, in the northern Sydney suburb of Dee Why, not far from the beach.

Another update from NSW SES – the previous red alert (which we noted a little earlier) has been amended for the moment due to a slight drop in water levels at the Manly Dam. Please keep checking the SES site if you’re nearby though, and we’ll bring you whatever updates we can.

 

My colleague Mostafa Rachwani is down in Sydney’s south-west – scroll down a little for his most recent dispatch from the floodzone.

A little earlier this afternoon we showed you a picture of a house in Emu Heights, at the base of the Blue Mountains, where half the driveway had been swept away. Here’s where it went...

Updated

More on the Manly Dam spillage from the NSW premier’s press conference (which is still going).

This from NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York:

What we have been told is it has gone into red alert, which means there is a chance of spilling at that Manly Dam. There are houses downstream from that dam and it has started to spill and go into the streets.

There’s an Emergency Order being prepared to go out to so it is clear what streets and homes are affected so the public knows who has to evacuate. There will be an emergency alert going out by text to let people know of their risk. I am informed by the engineers that there is no risk of the dam wall breaking, it is more the overflow from the top of the dam. So we want to make sure that community is safe.

Updated

Sydneysiders, please avoid the Roseville Bridge, if you are not already.

Streets closed and homes inundated in western Sydney as Georges River rises

The streets and homes surrounding Georges River in western Sydney have been inundated by driving rain, with many only able to watch on as the water swallows up their homes and cars.

Authorities have closed many of the main roads surrounding the river, including Henry Lawson Drive and Milperra Road, with entire sections of streets completely underwater.

The usually bustling Newbridge Road was closed by authorities, with the river having risen up to 3.65 metres earlier today, and with the water reaching up to 1.5 metres in residents homes.

Anthony Lippis, who lives just off Newbridge Road, said the water came into his home “in a flash”:

I lost my car, and we didn’t have enough time to save it. It’s heartbreaking. Every time this happens we need to move everything up a level, and it is exhausting, it’s devastating for everybody.

Anthony Lippis drives his dinghy up and down the flooded road to check in on his neighbours
Anthony Lippis drives his dinghy up and down the flooded road to check in on his neighbours. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian

Lippis was driving a dinghy up and down his now inundated street, helping people in any way he can.

He was joined by neighbours Angelo Testa and Oliver Bucha, who rode up and down the street on their dinghy. Testa told the Guardian the first level of his parents’ home was completely destroyed:

We got about a metre and a half of water, it’s the second time in three days, it’s been absolutely crazy. But it is what it is. Water comes up, then goes down.

Testa shrugged as he sped off to help another of his neighbours.

With rain continuing to fall, residents are anxious the waters won’t be receding any time soon.

Residents who live near Georges River have seen their homes inundated by flood waters
Residents who live near Georges River have seen their homes inundated by flood waters. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian
Angelo Testa drives his dinghy up and down the flooded road to check in on his neighbours
Angelo Testa drives his dinghy up and down the flooded road to check in on his neighbours. Photograph: Isabella Moore/The Guardian

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for “intense rainfall that will lead to life threatening flash flooding and possible landslides” heading into the Sydney metropolitan area.

Updated

An evacuation order has also been made for the Kempsey CBD and low-lying areas of Macleay Valley on the NSW mid-north coast:

Updated

SES orders urgent evacuation as Manly Dam overflows

From the SES just now:

Manly Dam has reached RED ALERT and has commenced overtopping. Residents in adjacent low lying areas below Manly Dam need to evacuate immediately. Do not delay your travel LEAVE NOW.

Updated

Perrottet has just announced a new role overseeing flood recovery in northern NSW:

Today we are making an appointment of deputy commissioner Mal Lanyon who will take on the position of northern NSW recovery coordinator. I have known Mal for many years, he has served as deputy commissioner of the NSW police force for three years under former commissioner Mick Fuller and now commissioner Karen Webb.

From my experience in the roles that he has played in the NSW police force that he is the best person suited for this role, working very closely with the head of Resilience NSW, Shane Fitzsimmons.

This will be a role that coordinates a strong regional response, given the substantial task ahead of us as a state in getting all those communities back on their feet as quickly as possible.

Updated

Premier Dominic Perrottet speaks on NSW floods crisis

And now we’re going to the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, who is speaking about the floods crisis:

I want to begin by acknowledging that we have had two additional people in Wentworthville, a mother and her son, die in these horrific flood events, that obviously brings the number of people that have died during this disaster to seven. Our thoughts and prayers and hearts go out to their friends and their family and loved ones at this difficult time.

Can I note that in terms of evacuation orders across our state, there are now 20 evacuation orders in place – sorry, 59 evacuation orders in place affecting 40,000 people. In relation to evacuation warnings, we have 15 evacuation warnings in place affecting 20,000 people.

We also note that there is a pending evacuation order coming for many people as a result of the Manly Dam beginning to spill that will affect 800 homes and 2,000 people.

As we have been saying during this period of time, and we will continue to repeat that message, if there is an evacuation warning in place, please get ready to leave. If there is an evacuation order in place, please evacuate, please follow the instructions of our state emergency services. They are there to keep you and your family safe at this difficult time and as we move through the week we will continue to see instances of flash flooding.

Updated

Reporter:

Was anyone else treated at the scene, any other injuries?

NT police officer (sorry, I didn’t catch the name of the man speaking!):

A person is in hospital at the moment from an incident earlier this morning prior to the critical incident, but the full circumstances of how he was injured are being investigated as part of the overall investigation.

Reporter:

Do we have an age of the person who was shot?

NT police:

At this time we haven’t confirmed the identity. We know he is a male adult and until we can speak to him and identify him we can’t really give any more detail at this stage.

Updated

We’re getting press conference whiplash over here but we’re going to take you now to the Northern Territory where the NT police are discussing an incident this morning in which police shot a man:

About nine o’clock this morning, NT police were attending in Palmerston and identified a male person who was armed with a weapon. They called upon the person to drop the weapon and unfortunately a number of shots were fired by police, injuring a male who has since been conveyed to Darwin hospital and is currently under treatment in surgery.

Police dispatched a strong and detailed investigative team looking at all the steps of the investigation, including what happened prior to, the reasons why that person was armed in a public place and also the circumstances of the shooting itself. The investigation is being overseen by professional standards command in line with our critical incident investigation policies.

Updated

Devaney continues to explain what police know and what they suspect about what happened. The first body was located about 1.4km from the vehicle, and the second body about 900 metres away.

Devaney:

Clearly the current weather conditions have impacted, the canal where the vehicle was located rose this morning from ankle deep to above neck height in a matter of minutes so I am sure that the weather conditions have significantly played a part in this matter.

There were no occupants in the vehicle so we are yet to determine how they actually exited the vehicle.

Updated

New South Wales police are giving an update on the two bodies discovered in flood waters today – which are suspected to be a missing 67-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man from Wentworthville.

Detective Superintendent Paul Devaney says:

Inquiries were commenced into their whereabouts and at first light this morning a search operation has commenced in the vicinity [of the car]. About 20 past eight this morning as a result of information received from the public, the body of a female was recovered in Coopers Creek. A short time later and in that same vicinity, the body of a male person was also located. While we suspect that they are the occupants of the vehicle, their identities are to be confirmed through the formal identification process.

... This is a timely and tragic reminder of the need to limit non-essential travel during these weather conditions. If you must travel please turn your headlights on, slow down and drive to the conditions.

Updated

National Covid summary

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 17 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 658
  • In hospital: 43 (with 2 people in ICU)

NSW

  • Deaths: 5
  • Cases: 13,018
  • In hospital: 1,070 (with 43 people in ICU)

Northern Territory

  • Deaths: 1
  • Cases: 437
  • In hospital: 45 (with 1 person in ICU)

Queensland

  • Deaths: 5
  • Cases: 4,397
  • In hospital: 268 (with 20 people in ICU)

South Australia

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 2,089
  • In hospital: 97 (with 13 people in ICU)

Tasmania

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 1,051
  • In hospital: 14 (with 4 people in ICU)

Victoria

  • Deaths: 6
  • Cases: 7,043
  • In hospital: 203 (with 29 people in ICU)

Western Australia

  • Deaths: 0
  • Cases: 2,847
  • In hospital: 48 (with 0 people in ICU)

Updated

And here’s the Nepean River... please do everything you can to stay safe out there.

ACT records 658 new Covid cases

The Australian Capital Territory has recorded no new deaths from Covid-19 with two people in ICU.

There are 43 people in hospital with coronavirus in the ACT with 658 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours.

Updated

Queensland records five Covid deaths

Queensland has reported five more Covid deaths and has 20 people in ICU.

There are 268 people in hospital with Covid-19 in the state, which recorded 4,397 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Updated

Western Australia records 2,847 new Covid cases

WA has reported 48 Covid-19 hospitalisations and 2,847 new cases.

The state has not recorded any deaths and nobody is currently in intensive care with Covid.

Updated

Cars stranded in flood waters in Camden, south-western Sydney
Cars stranded in flood waters in Camden, south-western Sydney, which was evacuated today. Photograph: Muhammad Farooq/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Just a recap of all the flood evacuation alerts around New South Wales over the last couple of hours:

Evacuation warnings:
Parts of Penrith
Parts of Lower Portland
Parts of Regentville
Parts of Cranebrook – Waterside Estate
Parts of Cranebrook (multiple areas)

Evacuation orders:
Low-lying areas of Sussex Inlet
Parts of Camden, including:
• Exeter Street west of John Street and Milford Road, Camden West
• Mitchell Street
• Elizabeth Street
• Argyle Street
• Lerida Street
• Edward Street

Please don’t just take our word for it, but make sure you check the SES website for the full list of flood evacuation warnings and orders.

Updated

The insurance bill, a lagging indicator in this flood catastrophe, continues to mount for both Queensland and New South Wales.

The Insurance Council of Australia today said insurers had received 96,844 claims related to the floods to date.

NSW, which remains in the midst of more flooding especially around Sydney, reported a 23% jump in claims in the past day. So far, though, Queensland still accounts for 69% of the claims, but that gap will likely narrow.

Domestic property continues to dominate, accounting for 80% of the total of claims, which now come from 80 local government areas.

The ICA said:

Based on previous flood events the estimated current cost of claims is now $1.45 billion.

Even a week ago, S&P put their expected cost at $2bn – but that was before East Coast Low 2.0 appeared off the NSW coast.

Flood waters inundate Camden, in south-western Sydney
Flood waters inundate properties at Camden, in south-western Sydney. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Updated

International Women’s Day is upon us and, along with it, Kristen O’Connell from the Antipoverty Centre writes that “the endless gabfests about women’s equality, mostly led and attended by women in suits”.

In her opinion piece in Guardian Australia today, she writes:

Increasingly we’re seeing women’s safety feature in the discussion and cursory mentions of issues facing Blak, disabled and queer women.

But in 2022 the conversation about women’s equality and safety is still lacking the voices of people in the worst circumstances and those at highest risk of harm.

In the lead-up to IWD, a slick new campaign with the tagline #SafetyRespectEquity has been launched to near universal praise.

There’s no denying privileged women experience violent relationships. But, just as I feared, there was a glaring gap, a major threat to women’s safety that didn’t even rate a cursory mention in the campaign: poverty.

Read the full piece here:

Updated

If you’d like to distract yourself from the floods with that quintessential dry-weather sport, cricket, my intrepid colleagues Mike Hytner and Emma Kemp are currently blogging the ICC Women’s World Cup: Australia v Pakistan. Follow all the action here:

Sydney Trains are imploring people to avoid non-essential travel today, and have posted a few rather startling videos to Facebook to give you a sense of why there are disruptions today.

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that major flooding is possible for Kempsey on the NSW mid-north coast from Tuesday afternoon.

The Macleay River may peak near the major flood level (6.60 metres) around 3pm on Tuesday, potentially topping CBD levees.

The last time flood waters reached that level was in the 2013 floods, when the river reached 7.1 metres. The town’s all-time flood record was 8.52 metres in 1949.

Further down the river at Smithtown, the river level is likely to reach the moderate flood level (4.00 metres) around 4pm on Tuesday.

Rain has eased across the Macleay River catchment since Monday evening and there are no further heavy falls expected on Tuesday.

Updated

Victoria’s parliament is about to debate a bill put forward by the Reason party MP Fiona Patten to decriminalise drugs.

Under Patten’s bill, scheduled for debated on Wednesday, police would issue a compulsory notice and referral to drug education or treatment to people believed to have used or possessed a drug of dependence.

If they comply, there would be no finding of guilt and no recorded criminal outcome.

Patten has described the war on drugs as “one of the most disastrous public policy failures in modern history”, which has destroyed lives, wasted money and created a black market that has enriched organised criminals.

“What we’re doing hasn’t reduced arrests, it hasn’t reduced harm. It hasn’t reduced use,” she tells Guardian Australia.

Decriminalisation is supported by the United Nations and the World Health Organization and in Australia by the Australian Medical Association, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australian College of Physicians, as well as several key drug and alcohol bodies.

But getting politicians to buy in is another matter entirely.

Read the full story here:

Updated

Afternoon everyone. Thank you to the lovely Matilda Boseley for taking us through this morning. I’m Stephanie Convery and I’ll be your host on this here blog for the remainder of the day.

With that, I shall hand you over to the fantastic Stephanie Convery who will take you through the afternoon.

Putin's press secretary among targets of Australia's new sanctions

We have some more details about those new sanctions announced by the Australian government earlier today. Australia’s updated sanctions database shows the new sanctions are against one entity – the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – and 16 individuals.

These 16 individuals include six military figures: the commander-in-chief of the Russian navy, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian navy, the commander-in-chief of the Black Sea fleet, the commander-in-chief of the Russian ground forces, the commander-in-chief of the Russian aerospace forces and the commander-in-chief of the Russian air force.

The other 10 individuals sanctioned today have been described by the Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, as “people of strategic interest to Russia for their role in encouraging hostility towards Ukraine and promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda to legitimise Russia’s invasion”.

These include Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, and the director of the information and press department of Russia’s ministry of foreign affairs, Maria Zakharova, along with several TV hosts or media figures.

Updated

Two bodies found in flood water in Sydney's west

Two bodies have been found in western Sydney amid rising flood waters, with NSW police saying they have not yet been identified.

Earlier, police appealed for help amid a search for a mother and her son after their car was found in a stormwater canal at Wentworthville.

A Mazda 3 was found in Cooper Creek stormwater canal around 4.30pm yesterday.

Police said they found personal items inside, however, they had been unable to locate the car’s owner, 67-year-old Hemalathasolhyr Satchithanantham, or her 34-year-old son, Bramooth.

Police told the Guardian an announcement would be made once the bodies had been identified.

Updated

Sydney’s 95.4mm of rain to 9am on Tuesday means the Harbour City is not just beginning to resemble a harbour but it has in fact had the wettest start to any year.

That’s according to the number crunching by Weatherzone’s Ben Domensino. By his reckoning we’ve had 821.6mm so far in 2022, beating the previous record to this data of 782.2mm in 1956.

Rainfall data at Sydney Observatory Hill go back to 1858 (although the gauge has moved a little over the time but not very far).

Domensino says the state’s heaviest rain in the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday was at Mittagong, which received 232mm. “This is more than two months’ worth of rain for Mittagong at this time of year,” he says.

Let’s see how much of the 120-150mm forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology for Sydney today falls ... that should fatten the margin over rival years for the wettest start to any year.

The next week will be mostly dry – can you believe it? – which will come as a welcome shock for many on the east coast of NSW, but especially around Sydney.

Residents watch submerged cars in flood waters in Sydney’s south-west
Residents watch submerged cars in flood waters in Sydney’s south-west, as thousands of Sydneysiders have been asked to evacuate from low-lying areas. Photograph: Muhammad Farooq/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

ABC is now reporting that a man’s body has also been recovered from near where a car was found abandoned in rising flood waters in Sydney’s west.

We are seeking confirmation and further details and I will update you when I can.

Updated

If you want to read more about the way the communities have been fending for themselves after the floods, I highly recommend this story from Elias Visontay.

“I’ve still got people on roofs needing food and rescuing, and I’ve just got to find someone to get to them,” says Ash Jones at the Rotorwing Helicopter hangar at the Lismore airport in northern New South Wales.

Jones has been working long hours as a volunteer air traffic controller and donation coordinator, and is de facto leader at the hangar. She says she is too busy to be interviewed.

A week after fatal floods hit Lismore and NSW’s northern rivers, the region is still in emergency mode, and with waters slow to recede and some areas still cut off, residents living in remote properties are now requiring urgent evacuations and supply drops.

The volunteer operation sprang up out of the Rotorwing hangar last Monday, just as owner Michael Barnes’s home became flooded.

You can continue reading below:

Updated

ABC is reporting the body of a woman has been found not far from a car which belonged to a mother and son who has not been herd from since the car was found abandoned in rising waters

The 67-year-old woman and her 34-year-old son had not been seen since their car was found in Cooper Creek in Wentworthville in Sydney’s west yesterday afternoon.

The identities of the body have not yet been confirmed by authorities.

Updated

The attorney general’s department is refusing to release documents revealing why the government decided to name new laws unmasking anonymous commenters for defamation proceedings the Social Media (Anti-Trolling) bill.

The name of the bill has been criticised because it only benefits people seeking to engage in defamation proceedings in court. The department confirmed during a recent hearing in parliament that the bill is anti-trolling in name only but did not say who decided on the name.

The attorney general’s department refused a freedom of information request from Guardian Australia last week for documents relating to the name of the bill, citing that the two documents found were cabinet documents, and subject to legal privilege.

Labor’s shadow communications minister, Tim Watts, asked the department if any children had ever initiated defamation proceedings. In a written response, the department could only come up with one example: when the family of Indigenous child Quaden Bayles sued News Corp columnist Miranda Devine over a tweet. The case was ultimately settled.

Updated

Australia to bring in new tranche of sanctions against Russia

The Australian government says it is introducing new sanctions on Russia’s “propagandists and purveyors of disinformation”. The foreign minister, Marise Payne, said the Australian government would also designate the Russian armed forces, which had “the effect of prohibiting the export of goods from Australia to all Russian military end-users”. She said in a statement:

This new round of sanctions will impose targeted financial sanctions on the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against an additional six senior Russian military commanders responsible for implementing naval, ground and air attacks on Ukraine ... The Russian Armed Forces are directly responsible for undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and hundreds of civilian deaths.

Payne said the targeting of propaganda and disinformation was “one of the latest steps in Australia’s work with international partners to impose a high price on those responsible for, and complicit in, Russia’s war on Ukraine”. She said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had been “accompanied by a widespread disinformation campaign, both within Russia and internationally”:

Tragically for Russia, President Putin has shut down independent voices and locked everyday Russians into a world characterised by lies and disinformation. The addition of sanctions on those responsible for this insidious tactic recognises the powerful impact that disinformation and propaganda can have in conflict.

The Australian Government is sanctioning 10 people of strategic interest to Russia for their role in encouraging hostility towards Ukraine and promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda to legitimise Russia’s invasion.

This includes driving and disseminating false narratives about the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine, making erroneous allegations of genocide against ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine, and promoting the recognition of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic as independent.

Payne said the Australian government was continuing to work with the big digital platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google, “to take action to suspend the dissemination of content generated by Russian state media within Australia”. That move was reported last week:

Updated

ADF major general to lead Queensland flood recovery effort

Leaders in Queensland have announced the appointment of a “recovery coordinator” for the flood – essentially the head ADF officer who will be overseeing the clean-up, temporary relocations and rebuilding efforts.

The defence minister, Peter Dutton, had confirmed it will be Maj Gen Jake Ellwood:

Here on the ground, this has been one of the worst-affected areas and we have had a consistent rapport with the local community here, identifying their priorities, how we can help them and that’s the leadership that’s provided from the Australian defence force, working in concert with the state government and the local authorities.

I’m very pleased that Jake Ellwood, Major General Ellwood, is going to be appointed to this position, because he has 30 years’ worth of service to our country. He’s served overseas in Kosovo, where he was recognised with a special recognition there from the British forces.

He has served in Iraq, where he received the distinguished service cross. He has led the men and women of the Australian defence force during his entire three-decade career.

He’s been an inspiration to many people that have worked under him and I think he is a fantastic appointment and, in my discussions with the chief of the defence force, there was really no other person that we could identify that was more worthy than Jake to take up this position.

I’m very pleased that the premier has made the decision to appoint somebody of the calibre of Jake Ellwood, and he will provide that coordination and that assistance to help Queenslanders get back on their feet as quickly as possible, and that’s exactly what we want.

Updated

Peter Dutton has stepped up to the plate:

We were just talking before about some of the houses in Mill Street here in Goodna which have been completely inundated, devastation and the worst hour in the lives of those people.

So the fact that we’ve been able to work together, and the presence of the Australian defence force here, men and women in uniform going door to door, helping those families recover from that dreadful situation, is really what we acknowledge today and say thank you to all of those in uniform, both here and right across different parts of the country who are watching this event unfold closer to Sydney now as it moves down the east coast.

Updated

All low lying areas of Sussex Inlet have been ordered to evacuate their homes and floodwaters rise.

The SES have just issued this warning:

Heavy rainfall during Monday has caused significant river level rises across the Macleay River catchment, and has resulted in minor to major flooding along the Macleay River.

Rain has eased since Monday evening. There is no further heavy rainfall expected across the catchment during Tuesday.

Updated

The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, is giving an update on the flood situation in the state now. And the federal defence minister, Peter Dutton, is standing awkwardly behind her. Palaszczuk says:

Lives ... have been severely impacted by the extreme weather event Queenslanders have never seen before, especially in the south-east.

Today we’re in Goodna. Ipswich alone has had some 560 homes and businesses that have been inundated. We still have 40 people in the evacuation centre here and as you can see ... there is a big impact in this region and it’s absolutely overwhelming to see people’s lives basically on the streets.

Well, the good news is the army is here to help and it’s great to be joined by the federal minister Peter Dutton today.

Updated

Tasmania records 1,051 new Covid infections

Tasmania has recorded 1,051 new coronavirus cases, an increase of 267 infections.

Tuesday’s figure takes the island state’s number of active cases to 5,607 and comes after 784 new infections were reported on Monday, AAP reports.

Tasmania has recorded daily case figures in the thousands twice this month, after not reaching four digits in February.

Fourteen people with the virus are in hospital, with six of those being treated for Covid-19 symptoms. Four patients are in intensive care, a decrease of one from 24 hours earlier.

The Royal Hobart hospital has de-escalated from level two to level one of its Covid-19 management plan due to low levels of virus patients and virus-related staff absences.

State health commander, Kathrine Morgan-Wicks, said:

Some protective measures associated with higher escalation levels will continue ...

To protect staff and patients, current personal protection equipment rules will remain and staff and visitors will continue to be screened at hospital entry points.

Tasmania has reported 13 virus deaths since reopening borders in mid-December and a total of 26 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Updated

Residents of Pitt Town on the flood-prone Hawkesbury-Nepean River found their designated evacuation route cut by rising water last Wednesday, forcing authorities to locate a gate key to open up the only other path out of the historic centre.

That route has been partly under water twice again since Sunday, with another blockage possible on Tuesday amid yet more forecasts for heavy rain. The Bureau of Meteorology was predicting major flooding of the river, in places possibly exceeding both last week’s highs and those of March 2021.

“We’ve been screaming for something to be done,” Peter Ryan, the Pitt Town progress association president, told Guardian Australia.

“How many fatals do we have to have from this flood due to their lack of interest and total incompetence? Do we have to drown people in their cars trying to escape from here?”

Updated

Ummmmmmmmm ...

Updated

Wet weather along the east coast of Australia has led to an early bumper mushroom season, prompting warnings about the risks of poisoning.

Toadstools have grown abundantly in urban parks and back yards in New South Wales in recent weeks, driven by the wettest summer in three decades in parts of the state.

Mushroom season usually begins in early autumn as the weather starts to cool down, according to fungi expert Dr Brett Summerell, who is the director of research at the Australian Institute of Botanical Science.

“But there have been quite a lot of mushrooms right through summer with the wetter weather,” Summerell said. “There’s no doubt over the last couple of weeks they’ve really started to pop up absolutely everywhere.”

You can read the full report below:

Here’s the full clip of that Sunrise interview with Peter Dutton I mentioned earlier in the morning.

Queensland police searching for missing man in Brisbane River

A man has been missing for four hours in the Brisbane River after he was seen going into the waterway in the city’s west, AAP reports.

The man, who has a large build, was seen entering the river at Macquarie Street, St Lucia, about 4am on Tuesday, Queensland police said.

Officers started searching the riverbank while swift water rescue crews began looking for the man in the water.

“Anyone who may have observed a man in the river is asked to contact police immediately,” police said in a statement on Tuesday.

Police are still trying to identify the man and have also asked residents or businesses in the Macquarie Street area to check CCTV cameras for any footage of him.

Updated

We will be hearing from the Queensland premier in about an hour.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has warned the uncertainty of Covid-19 will remain for some time, with the potential of new variants arriving in coming months, AAP reports.

It comes ahead of national cabinet meeting on Friday to review preparations for an expected winter surge of Covid-19 infections across the country.

Health experts have warned the colder months could bring a spike in case numbers, along with the first major flu outbreak in the country for two years.

Speaking at the Australian Financial Review business summit on Tuesday, Morrison said while the risk of Omicron had declined since the beginning of the year, other pandemic challenges were still to come.

“There always remains the risk, of course, of a new strain of the virus reaching our shores, and therefore, the uncertainties of Covid,” Morrison said.

“Regrettably, they will continue to remain with us, but we can’t let them overwhelm us or intimidate us.”

The prime minister said Australia had weathered the threat of Omicron well compared to other nations, with booster rates across the country rising.

He said while the variant was still circulating in the community, the declining case numbers had given state and territory governments confidence to ease restrictions.

“The worst of the workforce and broader economic impacts from the latest strain seem to be behind us, and we welcome that,” he said.

“I’m so pleased that the country is whole again with the opening of the Western Australia state border, likewise, it has given the commonwealth government the confidence to reopen our international borders.”

Updated

'Shark related incident' reported, surfer not harmed at Maroubra beach

Reports of a “shark related incident” close to the site of last month’s fatal attack have been shared by Randwick mayor, Dylan Parker, on Tuesday morning.

Lifeguards told Parker the surfer involved was not harmed during the incident just before 8am, posting a picture of a dented board.

He wrote on Facebook:

I’ve just received reports from Randwick City Council lifeguards at Maroubra Beach of another shark related incident at approximately 7.50 AM this morning. A surfer was involved but thankfully is uninjured. Maroubra beach was closed at the time due to dangerous surf conditions. We are still gathering information.

Updated

It’s the 16th day in a row of rain in Sydney, and York says every resource is being used. She said volunteers who have lost their homes in the floods in the northern rivers continue to work:

As I’ve gone through all the emergency service agencies support us in our leading of this operation, we’ve called on every resource we can that we need from Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT and Victoria. Obviously, we often call upon Queensland but they have their own issues and significant resource needs which the rest of Australia has been supporting.

I thank my volunteers. I thank the other emergency agencies for putting their life at risk and working tirelessly, long hours, long days, and as we’ve heard, at least for seven days since last Tuesday, I’ve had volunteers out there who have lost their homes to these floods in the northern rivers district and they are still out helping the community and we will continue to do so.

Updated

York says there are 1,300 SES volunteers active, assisted by the NSW Police, fire and rescue, the Rural Fire Service, Ambulance, Surf Life Saving and Marine Rescue.

There have been over 750 resupply missions completed for people who are cut off and can’t access essential supplies such as food, and there have been 189 medical support jobs for people who need medical assistance.

As of today there will be 1,800 defence personnel in the northern rivers area, with 200 remaining in the Sydney metro area in case they are needed in Sydney or on the south coast.

Updated

The NSW SES commissioner, Carlene York, says there has been a significant demand on SES resources dealing with calls for help:

As we’ve heard, there’s minor to major flood warnings right across from Kempsey to the south coast. We were called a number of times for assistance from the community.

We had over 2,500 calls for assistance and over 200 flood rescues and flood-related calls for assistance, so a significant heavy workload for emergency services.

I remind people to follow our warnings and orders and follow directions to make sure you are safe and make sure we don’t put our emergency service personnel at risk.

Warnings still remain in place for all roads in the Sydney metropolitan area.

She says almost half of the buildings assessed are non-habitable, with tens of thousands more still to assess:

We’ve completed over 5,500 building impact assessments, where there are 2,500 homes or premises that are non-habitable. So there’s significant damage up there. We have to complete tens of thousands of damage assessments.

Again, we will be out there in the community having a look at what the damage is and making sure before people go back into those areas that it is safe.

Updated

We are getting an update from the Bureau of Meterology and the State Emergency Service in New South Wales about the ongoing rainfall.

Dean Narramore from BoM says rainfall has eased over the Hunter, with heavy rainfall shifting to the Sydney metropolitan area this morning an then into the Illawarra and south coast through much of today and this evening.

There is minor to major flooding from the Queensland border all the way down to the Victorian border.

Both the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers are experiencing major flooding.

There was 50mm to 100mm of rain around the Illawarra and south coast last night, and that will continue today, with falls in excess of 150mm around the Shoalhaven and down the south coast. The rain will ease in Sydney later this afternoon but there is still an expected 50mm to 100mm of rain expected.

Updated

NSW records five Covid deaths and 13,018 new infections

Updated

Victoria records six Covid deaths and 7,043 new infections

Updated

We’re almost to the 9am daily cut off for daily rainfall totals that the Bureau of Meteorology uses. (Why not midnight, you ask?)

Anyway, it’s still teeming down, so the numbers will change a bit. Sydney’s CBD is making a late dash towards the 100mm mark, with about 20mm of that in the past hour. (Almost an inch, if you’re an imperialist.)

Around the city, Holsworthy has collected 125mm and rising since 9am Monday, and Bankstown not far behind at 118mm, BoM says.

Lots of others in that order, such as Canterbury and Campbelltown, both over 100mm.

Penrith at 78mm and Richmond at about half that are almost good total given what the Hawkesbury-Nepean River is doing.

The latest BoM warning for the river on Sydney’s north and west, doesn’t make for happy reading.

As they put it, in CAPS:

MAJOR FLOODING ABOVE THE MARCH 2021 EVENT OCCURRING AT MENANGLE, LOWER PORTLAND AND WISEMANS FERRY

MAJOR FLOODING HIGHER OR SIMILAR TO THE MARCH 2021 EVENT IS POSSIBLE AT NORTH RICHMOND, WINDSOR AND SACKVILLE

MAJOR FLOODING OCCURRING AT MENANGLE, NORTH RICHMOND, WINDSOR, LOWER PORTLAND, WISEMANS FERRY, AND PUTTY ROAD

Updated

Sub base plan branded as pork barrelling

Plans to build a new nuclear submarine base along Australia’s east coast have been branded as a pork barrelling exercise ahead of the federal election, reports AAP.

A new submarine base for new nuclear-powered vessels as part of the Aukus alliance has been proposed to be built at either Brisbane, Newcastle or Port Kembla, with initial work to be completed by the end of 2023.

However, independent senator and former submariner Rex Patrick said the plan was nothing more than a way to try to buy votes in marginal electorates.

“It’s been picked for pork barrelling reasons, it’s a pre-election announcement that offers the prospect of jobs and economic activity,” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

Obviously, the (submarine base) is a nice carrot for anyone that might be consider voting for the Coalition.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, made the announcement about the potential submarine base locations during a major foreign policy address on Monday.

The three sites were short-listed after reviewing 19 options for a location.

But Patrick said neither of the three options were suitable, highlighting concerns of pork barrelling.

The three options that he picked were scored very low in the analysis ...

The first cab off the rank, or the best city for a future submarine on the east coast, was Sydney, followed by Jervis Bay.

Patrick warned defence capability would suffer, should politics get in the way of the issue.

Morrison on Monday said no decision would be made about where the submarine base would be built before the federal election.

The election is due to be held by 21 May at the latest.

The defence minister, Peter Dutton, told the Nine Network that the nuclear submarine deal with the US and UK was going well.

We can achieve the submarine capability well before the 2040s, I still very much hold to that ...

It’s always been the plan that during the course of the 18 months, we would make an announcement on which submarine we’re going with, and then the balance of the 18 months would be talking about all of the detail of delivering it.

Updated

For those who missed it, here is the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, agreeing with the assessment from the former state treasurer (and now federal MP hopeful) Andrew Constance that the state government hasn’t improved the state’s emergency response capacity since the Black Summer bushfires.

Perrottet:

For me today, it’s not a time for review, it’s a time for action. I take responsibility as premier of the state. My role is to ensure people in those circumstances are kept safe and, you know, from stories and people I met, the heartbreaking stories over the course of the week, where people felt isolated and abandoned, I don’t want anyone in my state to feel like that. Once we’re through the, I’ll have an honest assessment of what could’ve been improved in the relation to emergency response.

Updated

Dutton also attacked Malcolm Turnbull during his chat to ABC’s RN this morning, following the former prime minister’s criticism of the Aukus nuclear submarine deal.

Essentially he said that Turnbull was a bitter man who was ruining his own legacy as a prime minister by constantly criticising the current Coalition government.

Turnbull, unsurprisingly, has responded to this – here are those tweets:

Updated

Speaking of Dutton, he also had a tough time of it during his Sunrise interview this morning, where host David Koch didn’t pull any punches when it came to questioning the defence force’s flood response.

Koch:

Normal people are getting in their tinnies and doing [rescues]. Doing it themselves. Surely you guys [the ADF] are better trained than Aussies going doing that themselves?

Dutton:

Just to get the sequencing right here, the initial responses from the SES – clearly the SES was overwhelmed, they do amazing work but the number of tasks that they had was phenomenal ... they then asked the ADF to provide personnel and we had prepositioned both personnel and helicopters.

As I said, the initial response was they rescued 113 people with those helicopters, and until the waters recede or until – if you’re talking about the clean-up phase and the reconstruction phase, that can’t start until they can get people on the ground.

Koch:

The waters have receded in Lismore. But not enough. God help us if we were going to war, we wouldn’t stand a chance if it took this long to get ourselves organised. What’s going on? Why aren’t they there quicker?

Dutton:

There are 760 people on the ground there.

Koch:

We want 5,000.

Dutton:

Well, we are providing thousands more and I take the advice from the logisticians and the experts ... The people who know what they are doing and know what they are talking about ... they are the people that are wearing uniforms and, frankly, we should have a bit more respect for [them] and they are providing the support on the ground. There will be more support.

Updated

Defence minister says emergency response criticism 'an issue for NSW'

ABC radio host Patricia Karvelas:

The New South Wales minister Andrew Constance has told Nine newspapers that the state’s disaster response has not improved since black summer, and it must get better at reaching people quickly as natural disasters become more frequent. I put this to Dominic Perrottet, he said he agreed and he took responsibility.

Is that your view, that we have not improved since black summer?

Peter Dutton:

I think that’s an issue for New South Wales.

Australian defence force has had people embedded into different command structures within New South Wales so that we can be tasked and we can get our people on the ground and responding as quickly as possible ...

Again, I just think that the gravity of this event and if you look at areas that have been devastated, it’s not just a couple of streets or a couple of towns or anything like that.

It is a broad area of cultural communities ... and despite the magnificent work that [NSW emergency response teams] have done, I think they just became overwhelmed with the scale of it.

And in some of those circumstances, my instructions to [the teams] were to go in over the top of that and provide local leadership and stabilise the situation on the ground, and build up their resources gradually.

But at the moment [they are] dropping, as I said before, medications and other essential goods and items to communities to sustain them until the roads can be cleared or until the waters have receded enough for more help to come in.

Updated

Dutton says the wild weather across Queensland and NSW should be thought of as a cyclone rather than just a flood.

I think we need to be realistic about the situation in northern New South Wales. It’s actually not just a flood – as others have pointed out, this is more of a cyclone.

It’s not just the rain for a few days ... this was a torrent of water that has ripped communities apart. There were roads that are no longer there, houses have been condemned. These are circumstances in which they’re dealing and it will take time to respond and to rebuild.

Updated

Dutton defends ADF flood effort after Perrottet admits need for improved emergency plans

The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, has made waves this morning by admitting that he felt the state’s emergency responses have not improved enough since the black summer bushfires.

Now the federal defence minister, Peter Dutton, is on radio, defending the defence forces’ role in the flood response.

He has said people should pay less attention to the negative stories “on Twitter and the rest of it”, and focus on the positive experiences people have had with the ADF on the ground.

One hundred people have been rescued by the helicopters defence provided from their rooftops – people otherwise, who would have been in a very precarious position or may have drowned.

So that’s the initial emergency response phase. Then there are a couple of days and it’s not possible for Defence Force personnel to be dropped into those danger zones at the same time that they’re pulling people out ...

So they have responded to all of those events as they unfold. Some of the negative stories that you are hearing at the moment, I mean, there are literally hundreds of stories where we’ve been able to drop foods, drop baby formula, drop medications – and those people respond with kindness, with gratitude.

And I know there’s a lot of activity on Twitter and the rest of it, but I think we need to look at the positive of what’s happening on the ground.

Updated

The floods and wild weather have also caused 262 schools across NSW to be closed today, including public and private schools.

You can find a full list of the closures here (but I warn you, it takes a while to scroll to get to the bottom).

Updated

The torrential downpour across parts of NSW today, which have already led to a number of new evacuation orders, have also caused serious damage to buildings. The roof of a supermarket in Hurstville has been destroyed overnight.

Updated

Federal opposition frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has jumped on the radio right after the premier to talk about Labor’s proposed $77m package to improve consent education at school. (Hopefully with something better than that bizarre milkshake video from last year.)

Well, the national curriculum has just been strengthened in this area to say that all students should learn about respectful relationships while they’re at school ... This is making sure that we change the objective in the curriculum into real change in every classroom in Australia.

... If we can change that when they are young, we can change these shocking statistics across Australia where we see one in five Australian women experiencing sexual assault in her lifetime, one in three experiencing domestic violence.

40% of women have been sexually harassed in the workplace in the last five years alone. This cannot stand, and I think on International Women’s Day, it’s important to say that we need to start the change when people are young, so they know what healthy and respectful relationships look like.

Updated

NSW premier admits need for 'better planning'

ABC RN host Patricia Karvelas:

Premier, can you guarantee people who lost their homes to these floods, that they will be able to rebuild where they are, or will some be forced to move to less flood-prone areas?

NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet:

Well, Patricia, I’ll work through that because I mean, obviously this was an unpredicted, freak catastrophe. I mean, there’s a 14 and a half metre flood in Lismore!

But ultimately, in these times, we need to have frank assessments of the circumstances.

Karvelas:

Again, I don’t mean to be rude, but you say “freak” – is it really a “freak” if we’re being told we’re going to have more of these events more frequently?

Should we be really describing it that way when we know that these events are going to be with us more often?

Perrottet:

We’ve never seen a 14 and a half metre flood in Lismore, I’m sure you have that. There’s no doubt that we are seeing more of these events and we need to make sure that as we rebuild, we do so in such a way that ensures that we protect people’s lives and we have communities built in a way where we mitigate flood risk or fire risk.

... So as we get to that rebuilding phase, we’ll certainly look at better planning and more flood mitigation and fire mitigation as we move through.

Updated

The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, has told ABC radio that floods will continue to endanger homes and lives across the week.

It’s going to continue to be a very difficult week ...

We expect torrential conditions to continue ... overnight, we had 80 flood rescues in the areas of Western Sydney and Wollongong.

Updated

Continued from last post:

Among areas outside Sydney facing flood risks on Tuesday were Kempsey in the state’s north and parts of around the Illawarra and Shoalhaven area, Smyth said.

In the period since 9am on Monday, several areas in the Sydney region had collected more than 100mm of rain, including Holsworthy and Bankstown.

Rivers are also at major flood level in different parts of the state with the flood-prone Hawkesbury-Nepean among them.

“Major flooding above the March 2021 event is occurring at some locations along the Upper Nepean, Hawkesbury, and Colo Rivers,” the bureau said. “Forecast rainfall for Tuesday may cause further renewed rises.”

Warragamba Dam, which has been flooding since 3am on Wednesday, is continuing to spill, with the rate quickening again overnight, bureau data showed.

As of Monday evening, authorities were predicting the dam’s peak spill rate could reach as much as 400 gigalitres a day, or not far from the March 2021 peak of 440GL/day. Last week’s peak was 315GL/day.

Along with the rain, there is damaging surf along much of the central NSW coast, and also the risk of damaging wind gusts that could bring down trees. Landslips are also a risk and motorists are advised to take care – if they have to be out on the roads at all in areas where the weather is particularly fierce.

Those winds could reach peak gusts in excess of 90km/h in the Sydney Metropolitan, South Coast, Illawarra and Southern Tablelands districts, including the ACT ranges, the bureau said. “The risk of damaging wind gusts is expected to persist into Wednesday.”

Updated

Part of 11 Sydney suburbs were ordered to evacuate overnight as heavy rain swelled rivers, with fresh flood risks from places as far apart as the Illawarra and Kempsey in northern NSW.

Tens of thousands of people are affected by the evacuation orders, the SES said.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning for damaging winds and heavy rain for a region stretching from near Taree on the mid-north coast almost to the Victorian border in the state’s far south.

The bureau said a low-pressure system was expected to deepen and develop into an east coast low near the Hunter coast this morning and track south. It will be the second east coast low in less than a week and may bring more damaging winds than last week’s, meteorologists said.

Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast for the Mid North Coast, Hunter, Sydney Metropolitan, Illawarra, South Coast, and parts of the Central Tablelands districts.

“Six-hourly rainfall totals between 70mm to 120 mm are possible,” although totals could even reach 150mm during that time period if thunderstorms develop.

Importantly given the population centres, the peak of the rainfall will most likely be about the Sydney Metropolitan, Illawarra and South Coast districts, the bureau said.

Overnight, the NSW SES issued evacuation orders for a “substantial” population in 13 suburbs, mostly in the Georges River area.

These included parts of Chipping Norton, Milperra, Picnic Point and Warwick Farm.

Shellie Smyth, an SES spokesperson, said:

There was a cell that sort of moved from up north down into Sydney, and it dumped in some cases over 100 millimetres of rain in a very short space of time into an already saturated catchment, which caused rapid river rises ...

Obviously we had to issue those evacuation orders.

Continued in the next post.

Updated

Good morning

Good morning everyone, it’s Matilda Boseley here ready to bring you all the news updates from the day.

Residents in parts of Sydney’s south-west have been ordered to evacuate their homes as surrounding rivers swell.

Residents living on Beatty Parade in George Hall have been ordered to leave their homes immediately, along with all the homes in East Hills bounded by Henry Lawson Drive, the railway, Georges River and the East Hills footbridge.

The same goes for parts of Warwick, Moorebank, Milperra, Lansvale, Sandy Point and parts of Camden. You can find information on all current evacuation orders here.

The SES has warned that once flood waters get high enough these areas will be cut off from power and isolated, with conditions potentially making it too dangerous for rescues.

North of the border, the death toll from the south-east Queensland flood disaster has risen to 13 after the body of a man was found in floodwaters.

It’s believed to be the body of a 31-year-old who went missing in Warwick, 130km south-west of Brisbane, on 27 February.

The man and his car were found in the Condamine River around 4pm on Monday.

A man in his 60s was found after his car was swept into flood waters in the South Burnett region on Sunday, when storms again hit parts of the state.

Another man is still missing and feared dead after falling from a boat on the Brisbane River near Breakfast Creek on 26 February.

Queensland is looking at a damages bill of more than $2.5bn due to the disaster.

There is a lot to get through today, so with that, why don’t we jump in.

Updated

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