EMERGENCY services had a busy night responding to back-to-back car crashes as heavy rain lashed Lake Macquarie.
Dora Creek Rural Fire Service (RFS) crews were called to three road-related jobs throughout the evening.
Firefighters were first deployed to attend a car fire on the M1 motorway at Dora Creek, and as they returned to the station afterwards, they came across a car crash at Morisset, an RFS spokesperson said.
A car had reportedly slid out of control and into nearby bushes and railway fencing, with police requesting backing for fire protection and traffic control.
As the vehicle was being recovered, reports came in that a multi-car crash had occurred on the M1 Motorway about three kilometres south of Morisset.
Emergency services, including the Dora Creek RFS brigade, responded and found a Tesla sedan had "aquaplaned in poor weather", according to the spokesperson.
The vehicle had reportedly crossed dual lands and landed on the median strip, though no one was injured in the ordeal.
"Given the very heavy rainfall as well as limited resources ... it was decided that the Tesla will spend the night in the median strip and be recovered in the morning," the Dora Creek RFS spokesperson said.
The rain also produced 12 callouts for State Emergency Service crews. An SES spokesperson said the jobs were mostly due to leaking, which was common when intense rainfall occurred after hot periods.
The SES spokesperson said all 12 jobs were minor and had been closed out by midday on Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) weather station at Cooranbong recorded 44.8mm of rain overnight, with most of it falling between 9.30pm and 1am.
About 25mm of rain pelted down in a half-hour period between 9.30pm and 10pm, according to BOM data.
Newcastle also copped a drenching, with 37.7mm of rain notched at the BOM's weather station at Nobbys overnight, mostly between 11pm and 6am.
Wind gusts of up to 65 kilometres per hour were recorded just before 2am.
The BOM forecast indicated Newcastle was expected to remain partly cloudy throughout Friday, with a top of 21 degrees, and cloudy but dry weekend.
Sunday could reach up to 26 degrees, according to the BOM.
