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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Damon Cronshaw

Flooding in the Hunter as rivers rise, but rain eases

Tahlia and Dallas Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland, playing in the muddy, waterlogged potato crop. Picture by Marina Neil
A vehicle in floodwater at Burns Road in Ourimbah. Picture by NSW SES Wyong
SES staff at Singleton preparing for the flood peak on Monday evening. Picture by Singleton SES
Newcastle Jets players greet crowd on a soaking pitch at Gosford on Saturday.
A lot of bluebottles are on Hunter beaches. Picture by Dave Anderson
A surfer in Newcastle on Sunday. Picture by Dave Anderson
Hunter River at Maitland. Picture by Marina Neil
Water on a property at Glenarvon Road, Lorn. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia and Dallas Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland, playing in the muddy, waterlogged potato crop. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland. Picture by Marina Neil
Melville Ford Bridge, on the Hunter River, under water at Aberglasslyn. Picture by Marina Neil
Melville Ford Bridge, on the Hunter River, under water at Aberglasslyn. Picture by Marina Neil
Melville Ford Bridge, on the Hunter River, under water at Aberglasslyn. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia and Dallas Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland, playing in the muddy, waterlogged potato crop. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia and Dallas Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland, playing in the muddy, waterlogged potato crop. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia and Dallas Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland, playing in the muddy, waterlogged potato crop. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia and Dallas Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland, playing in the muddy, waterlogged potato crop. Picture by Marina Neil
Tahlia Osborn at the family farm at Pitnacree, Maitland. Picture by Marina Neil
A vehicle in floodwater at Burns Road in Ourimbah. Picture by NSW SES Wyong
A vehicle in floodwater at Burns Road in Ourimbah. Picture by NSW SES Wyong
A vehicle in floodwater at Burns Road in Ourimbah. Picture by NSW SES Wyong
A surfer in Newcastle on Sunday. Picture by Dave Anderson
The sea off Bar Beach on Sunday. Picture by Dave Anderson

Flood levels in the Hunter Region are yet to peak after heavy rain caused rivers to rise, amid strong winds and cooler temperatures.

A flood warning was in place on Sunday for the Hunter River and Wollombi Brook, with flood peaks expected on Monday and Tuesday.

Southerly winds brought gusts of 63 kmh at Nobbys on Sunday morning and a high of 15 degrees. Nobbys recorded a high of 25 degrees on Saturday.

The NSW SES advised people not to enter floodwater that was "fast moving" at the Melville Ford Bridge at Aberglasslyn. The bridge had to be closed.

The SES responded to 13 flood rescues across the Hunter and Central Coast, mostly vehicles in floodwater, while the Bureau of Meteorology reported mostly minor flooding.

"The Hunter River at Maitland (Belmore Bridge) may exceed the minor flood level (5.9 metres) on Monday afternoon. A minor flood peak may occur late Tuesday," a bureau statement said.

"The Hunter River at Singleton may exceed the minor flood level (10 metres) on Monday morning. The river level may peak near 10.8 metres on Monday evening."

Minor flooding is occurring at Bulga.

The bureau added that the Wollombi Brook at Bulga "may peak near the moderate flood level (3.7 metres) during Monday morning".

A lot of bluebottles are on Hunter beaches. Picture by Davie Anderson

Flood levels in the Upper Hunter, Paterson and Williams rivers were "generally easing or approaching below minor peaks".

Kingdon Ponds at Scone and the Hunter River at Aberdeen and Denman were expected to remain below the minor flood level on Sunday.

In the 24 hours to 9am on Sunday, recorded rainfall in the Hunter was: Cooranbong (45mm), Pokolbin (36.6mm), Nelson Bay (36.5mm), Branxton (35.8mm), Paterson (32.6mm), Williamtown (32.6mm), Maitland (31.6mm), Bulga (30.2mm), Singleton (29.8mm), Cessnock (26.8mm) and Nobbys (22mms).

Jest players greet fans on the soaking pitch at Gosford on Saturday.

About 65mm fell in Gosford, where the Newcastle Jets match against Central Coast Mariners was postponed on Saturday evening.

Rain mostly eased in the Hunter on Sunday. Conditions eased as the low pressure system moved offshore.

The bureau cancelled a severe weather warning for the Hunter on Sunday, but issued gale and hazardous surf warnings. Blue bottles continued to have a large presence on beaches.

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