Thousands of people in NSW were ordered to leave their homes as rising waters sparked chaos.
An east coast low has caused significant rainfall over Greater Sydney and its surrounds, and authorities warned while the rain would ease as the week goes on, swollen rivers would continue to rise.
Police pulled two bodies from floodwaters in Wentworthville, in the city's western suburbs, on Tuesday morning and later in the day, several parts of the northern beaches were inundated.
This is how the day unfolded.
Key events
Live updates
By Riley Stuart
NSW rain and floods latest
Live updates have closed on this blog, this is what you need to know:
- The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for several parts of NSW, see the most up-to-date information here
- The NSW State Emergency Service has isseud evacuation warnings for thousands of people around the state, including in Greater Sydney and Newcastle. Click here for the latest
- While the rain is expected to ease as this week goes on, authorities have warned swollen rivers will continue to rise
- Two bodies were pulled from the water in Wentworthville, in the city's western suburbs, this morning
By Riley Stuart
That's it from me
It's been a wet and wild ride today — but I must sign off. I'll pin a post to the top of this stream where you can get the latest information.
Until we meet again.
By Riley Stuart
Roseville Bridge inundated
So it's not the Harbour Bridge, but this snap of the Roseville Bridge across Middle Harbour has been doing the rounds today. Pretty incredible.
By Riley Stuart
Greater Sydney dam levels
In case you were wondering:
- Warragamba Dam: 100 per cent
- Woronora Dam: 100 per cent
- Avon Dam: 100 per cent
- Cataract Dam: 100 per cent
- Cordeaux Dam: 100 per cent
- Nepean Dam: 100 per cent
- Prospect Dam: 97.4 per cent
- Wingecarribee Reservoir: 100 per cent
- Fitzroy Falls Reservoir: 100 per cent
- Tallowa Dam: 100 per cent
- Blue Mountains Dams: 99.9 per cent
By Riley Stuart
Check this story out
Here's some more context about what what happened at Manly this afternoon.
Manly Dam has spilled, what does that mean?
A warning that an unused dam in Sydney's northern beaches could overflow has left residents on high alert. Here's what happened.By Riley Stuart
By Riley Stuart
Bravo, commenters 👏👏
Thank you to everyone who chimed in, here's a couple of my favourites.
Riley, I think Heath was actually handing over the rains to you!
-Vanessa from Adelaide
I hear it’s rain reign reining!
-Ben
It's a reign of sin in the comments this afternoon.
-Belinda
And here's one from the person who started it all by quite rightly pointing out the typo!
To Cam from Clifton Hill.
Thanks, I think. As always, you see the mistakes after you hit 'Post comment'.
-marksierra
Thank you for playing all — now back to the floods.
By Riley Stuart
Singapore's helicopters helping with flood recovery
Singapore's air force has deployed two Chinook choppers to help flood recovery efforts in Queensland and NSW.
The two helicopters are usually based at a facility in Queensland, and are being used to transport personnel and emergency supplies.
Singapore is also sending a relief package containing things like tents, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water and medical supplies which was due to depart the city-state today.
By Riley Stuart
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has issued flood evacuation orders for the entire suburbs of McGraths Hill and Mulgrave, in Sydney's north-west.
It says once floodwater reaches 13.5m at nearby Windsor, the area will be isolated.
It's telling people to evacuate by 8:30pm and warning if they don't, they may become trapped without power, or water, and that it may be too dangerous to perform rescues.
By Riley Stuart
By Riley Stuart
Keep the comments coming
Cam from Clifton Hill, this is the most brilliantly witty comment I've seen in five years. I fear perhaps only you and I will understand it — if anyone else does, sing out!
A clue: it relates to another post from the past hour. 🤔
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
-Cam from Clifton Hill
By Riley Stuart
By Riley Stuart
BOM's current warnings
This is what you need to know about the night ahead.
The BOM says: "An east coast low is continuing to slowly deepen off the Hunter Coast and is expected to track to the south-southeast overnight and Wednesday, taking it gradually further offshore."
Heavy rain could lead to flash flooding in these areas:
- Sydney
- Illawarra
- Northern parts of the South Coast
Between 5pm and 11pm those areas could get between 70-100mm of rain.
Meanwhile, damaging winds could be prevalent in these areas:
- Sydney
- Northern parts of the South Coast
- Illawarra
- Eastern parts of the Southern Tableands
By Riley Stuart
BOM rainfall totals
So just how wet has it been today?
Here are some of the bureau's main observations:
- 102mm in three hours to 2:30pm at Mona Vale Golf Club
- 124mm in six hours to 11am at Forestville
- 119 mm in six hours to 10am at Allambie
- 51 mm in one hour to 1:45 pm at Mosman
There was a wind gust of 94km/h at Kiama recorded at 2:18pm and one at 91km/h at Montague Island at 11:56am.
By Riley Stuart
Let my reign begin. 👑
To Heath Parkes-Hupton. When you sin off, you hand the reins to the next person. Reins, as in controlling (usually) a horse.
Reign means the period that a monarch sits on the throne, but has nothing to do with handing over control. At least, not in this context, anyway.
-marksierra
By Riley Stuart
It's good to be here
Well, it's good to be anywhere safe and dry in NSW this month.
I'll be sharing flood and weather developments with you this evening.
Here's one to kick us off: my wardrobe started leaking today ... it appears the ceiling at our place in Sydney has finally sucummbed after more than 130mm of rain in the past 24 hours.
These hands are definitely better at emailing than roof plumbing, so sorting that will have to be tomorrow's problem!
I'm certainly not complaining: so many people have lost so much on the east coast of Australia in the past two weeks.
Thankfully, in NSW at least, the weather is starting to improve from tomorrow.
More on that later. For now: strap yourselves in.
