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Flood warnings as heavy rains fall across Tasmania, threatening to break records for August

Storms have brought heavy rainfalls across Tasmania

It is not official yet, but weather experts say Sunday's heavy rains across Tasmania look to have broken records for all-time biggest downpours in a number of locations.

Thousands of people were without electricity on Sunday morning, with Tasmania's electricity utility TasNetworks reporting outages in Eaglehawk Neck, Highcroft, Koonya, Nubeena, Port Arthur, Premaydena, White Beach and surrounds "believed to be weather related".

In a statement, the SES said it had responded to about 95 requests for assistance.

Acting Director Leon Smith said "initially the incidents were north of Hobart, in the Brighton and Bagdad areas and then as the weather event moved, we saw a big increase in activity in the Huon and Dover areas".

"While strong winds were forecast, what we've seen today from an SES perspective was rain related. 

"Our crews have been responding to inundation into some homes and properties and are continuing to work alongside councils and Tasmania Police with road closures."

Some properties in Huonville were affected by rising waters from the nearby Huon River and other waterways. (Toby Schrapel Photography)
Bec Gunton's photo of soggy conditions at Nicholls Rivulet, southern Tasmania. (Supplied: Bec Gunton)
Damon Ercole battling flooded shower in Huonville, Tasmania (Supplied: Damon Ercole)

The Bureau of Meteorology's Deb Tabor said that, while the figures were still to be confirmed, it appeared the deluge had broken the all-time record for highest recorded daily rainfall in August in 14 locations, including South Hobart, Allen's Rivulet, Crabtree, Grove, Cygnet, Franklin and Hartz Mountain.

Ms Tabor said kunanyi/Mt Wellington had registered 129 millimetres from Saturday night to midday Sunday.

She said the heaviest rains had passed and that "the worst of it has happened".

"But it will still be wet for the rest of the day, particularly in the east and south the winds will start to ease off, and they will get a little bit gustier in the afternoon on the east coast.

"Up to 9am this morning, the highest rainfall has been kunanyi/Mt Wellington at 109mm."

Toby Schrapel took this photo of a swollen waterway near Huonville. (Toby Schrapel Photography )

Ms Tabor said there had been 91mm of rainfall at Nugent, 71mm at Mt St John, 68mm at Grey in the north-east, 67mm at Buckland and 56mm in Fern Tree.

Water cut roads in the flood-prone area of Huonville, 38 kilometres south of Hobart, with Tasmania Police advising the Esplanade had been closed due to water from the Huon River over the roadway. 

Some residents reported sandbagging their homes in Flood Road, with assistance from SES volunteers.

At 1.53pm Sunday, Tasmania Police said the road weather alert for the Midlands, East Coast and South East forecast districts had been cancelled, but added the "situation will continue to be monitored and further alerts will be issued if necessary".

Tasmania Police are updating their list of road closures due to the weather.

In Bagdad, 37 kilometres north of Hobart, roads were flooded and residents watched as waterways swelled.

A resident in the town said the "rain was very heavy and the water came up really fast from the time I got up at seven till now".

"We flood a bit in winter but this is crazy and seems to be getting worse every year."

Heavy rains hit Hansen's Orchard at Grove, in southern Tasmania
A wet scene at Mountain River, south of Hobart. (Supplied: Kinnan Brightman)

A Cygnet resident said she had "not seen this kind of rain for about 17 years".

"Last time it washed away our little water crossing at the bottom of our street, this morning it's starting to overlap that crossing.

"It's incredible how much water is coming down the creeks, our rain tanks were nearly empty yesterday and today they're overflowing."

Stay up to date with the latest warnings on the Bureau of Meteorology's weather warnings for Tasmania website.

Flooding at the home of Rosemary Coleman from Bagdad, Tasmania, who said it was the "third time in 12 months". Sunday 14 August, 2022.
Aurora and Violet could see the brightside of the gloomy weather in Huonville. (ABC News: Daniel Miller)
Vicki Matthews snapped this pic, captioning it "flooded on the Swan River, we just got van out in time".
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