The Lower Hunter has experienced its wettest three-year spell on record as the La Nina weather pattern shows little sign of easing.
Bureau of Meteorology figures show Williamtown RAAF Base has received 4296 millimetres since the start of 2020, 116mm more than the previous wettest three-year period from 1997 to 1999.
Williamtown, which has the most complete weather observations in the Hunter region since 1942, recorded 1361mm in 2020 and 1556mm last year.
It has been drenched with 1379mm of rain in 2022 with almost three months until the end of the year.
This year has been the wettest on record in Sydney, dating back to 1858. The weather station at Observatory Hill broke the 1950 record of 2194mm last week.
Williamtown has not yet beaten its previous annual high-water mark of 1793mm in 1963 but could challenge that record if the remaining 11 weeks of the year have above-average rainfall.
The median annual rainfall for Williamtown is 1096mm.
The Paterson weather station at Tocal has registered 1255mm this year and is on track to break its annual record of 1349mm, set in 1988.
The Hunter escaped the worst of wild weather across the state last week which washed out the Newcastle Jets' A-League season-opener at Gosford on Saturday.
The State Emergency Service advised farmers along low-lying areas of the Hunter, Paterson and Williams rivers on Monday that water levels would rise briefly and could worsen again on Friday if more forecast rain arrives.
AAP reports: Rain has eased over much of NSW, but dozens of rivers are still flooding and evacuation orders are in place as authorities forecast another rain system to arrive midweek.
People across NSW were forced to flee homes last weekend amid rising floodwaters and thousands of others are poised to leave if ordered as dams spill and river peaks move downstream.
More than 100 flood warnings and 16 emergency warnings are in place across NSW.
The BOM says another system is forecast to bring rain from Wednesday to Friday.
"We're still very much watching the rivers and the outlook because there's more rain on the way," BOM meteorologist Dean Narramore told ABC TV.
The SES issued new evacuation orders on Monday morning for low-lying areas along the Hawkesbury River.
Major flooding occurred along the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai.
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