Coastal NSW is bracing for imminent heavy weather as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) responds to a call to help with flood rescues, setting up three operational bases in New South Wales and placing 200 personnel on stand-by across two states.
Emergency services had responded to more than 600 requests for assistance and carried out 26 flood rescues by early Sunday morning, according to the State Emergency Service (SES).
And Bathurst 1000 organisers cancelled the "top 10 shootout" for this year's race after a torrential downpour at Mount Panorama on Saturday afternoon made driving dangerous.
Tourist park evacuated
The SES is directing people in the Western Plains Tourist Park in Dubbo, in the Central West, to evacuate now via Bultje Street.
Evacuation centres have been set up at the Dubbo Showground on Wingewarra Street.
An emergency warning has also been issued for Gronos Point, on the northern bank of the Hawkesbury River, with the SES calling for people to evacuate before 7.30am on Sunday.
This applies to properties in the Gronos Point area, including properties along Gronos Farm Road and Manns Road, as evacuation routes may close.
Heavy rainfall over the Greater Sydney region has been easing but flash flooding is still possible.
The Bureau of Meteorology says six-hourly rainfall totals up to 50 millimetres are likely, with isolated falls of more than 70 millimetres possible.
Residents in some areas north-west of Sydney have been told to prepare to get cut off by rising floodwaters, with 28 watch-and-act flood warnings active across the state.
Widespread flooding is occurring or possible at several inland rivers including the Murrumbidgee, Lachlan, Murray and Darling.
Luke Robinson from the State Emergency Service (SES) said more rain was on the way.
"The centre of the system is currently sitting over the Sydney area, which has brought a temporary easing of the rain to the Greater Sydney area, but what we're going to see is that as that moves offshore, the low will intensify and the back end of the low will bring around possibly more rainfall for the coastal areas from Ulladulla to the mid-coast," he said.
Campers could be cut off
People at the Oura Beach camping reserve on the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga were ordered to evacuate before 9am on Sunday.
The SES said road access could be cut off due to flooding.
It was a similar situation at Colo, north-west of Sydney, with residents warned they would be cut off with the Colo River expected to reach major flood level by Sunday morning.
Ourimbah, on the NSW Central Coast, and the southern inland towns of Hay and Gundagai are now at watch-and-act level due to fast-flowing and rapidly rising water — adding to the 25 locations already in that state across the state.
Coastal areas of Sydney, the Illawarra and the Hunter should expect intense rain for the rest of the weekend as another intense weather system moves in from the west.
ADF asked to help with night rescues
NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said the SES had asked the ADF for assistance, particularly with aircraft capable of night rescues.
Two ADF helicopters landed in Parkes on Saturday evening to help with any potential flood rescues.
Defence helicopters were also on standby at Holsworthy, in Greater Sydney, and Williamtown in the Hunter region.
A Defence Department spokesperson said 200 personnel were ready to help in NSW and Queensland to support the SES if a request was received via National Emergency Management Australia.
The SES said the main areas of concern were Gunnedah, Warren, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga and Forbes.
Two troughs in recent days have already brought average falls of 50mm to 80mm across inland NSW and, in some places, more than 100mm.
There were more than 500 SES personnel in the field across NSW.
Authorities are keeping a close eye on dams, with many already at or near capacity and "highly likely" to spill.
Burrinjuck Dam in the Riverina began spilling into the Murrumbidgee River on Friday. It is at 104.8 per cent, with releases increasing to 55 gigalitres a day.
Water NSW is keeping a close eye on Copeton Dam, which is at 98.2 per cent, Keepit Dam (91.1 per cent), Wyangala Dam (92.8 per cent) and Burrendong Dam, which is at 115 per cent and continuing to rise into its flood mitigation zone.
Between 20 to 40 millimetres of rain was expected for much of inland NSW on Saturday, with isolated storms expected to bring up to 70mm in some areas.
Residents in flood-affected areas are being asked to only drive where necessary, with many closed and damaged roads and water rushing over roads.
While much of inland NSW avoided the worst of the expected rain on Friday, with 10-15mm falling across most of the Central Tablelands, areas further west were not so lucky.
According to the BOM's official rain gauges, Dubbo and surrounding towns received 50mm on Friday and some residents reported heavy falls in isolated storms.
One already flooded-in farmer in Nyngan received more than 90mm on Friday.
