Emergency services are handing out sandbags across regional New South Wales and doorknocking in communities again threatened by floods just weeks after the last deluge.
While heavy rain has eased over much of the state's inland, the weather bureau has flood warnings in place for 15 catchments across the state, with a further 25 on flood watch.
A severe weather warning for heavy rainfall and flash flooding is in place for parts of the north-west tonight, including Condobolin, Nyngan, Cobar and Bourke.
Rain totals of 50-70mm are likely over 24 hours with possible local falls of up to 100mm in some areas as thunderstorm clusters embedded in the rain band move over the state.
Burndoo, south-east of Wilcannia, recorded 61mm in 6 hours last night, with 33mm in two hours at White Cliffs.
Major flooding was predicted for Warren on Wednesday, with further rises possible overnight.
"Our major focus has been the communities across the western part of NSW that saw flooding two weeks ago," Dave Rankine from the State Emergency Service said.
"The rain that the bureau has predicted for (later this week) is certainly looking to affect those communities again."
Mr Rankine said every volunteer hub west of the Great Dividing Range was supplying sandbags and personnel were doorknocking properties in areas including Gunnedah and Wee Waa to make sure they were prepared.
He said despite "intense" rainfall predicted over the coming days, authorities were not expecting mass evacuation orders similar to those in the Northern Rivers early this year.
"I want to stress at the moment in western NSW we're not looking at potential evacuations in any communities," he said.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jake Phillips said the current weather system was set to mostly ease overnight and on Thursday morning, with some heavy falls still possible in the Illawarra and south-east.
However, he said a second band of rain was "hot on its heels".
"That will come through and start affecting the inland areas from Friday and that will then move across to the coast from Saturday and Sunday," he said.
"For inland areas, the rainfall amounts will be comparable [to Wednesday], but the system on the weekend does look like it will track to the coast and have more effect there.
"But the cumulative effect of both of these systems on top of what we've already had is what makes it so concerning, because our catchments have very little capacity to absorb rainfall."
Lake Cargelligo accountant and farmer Kerry Davis-Turner said she was bringing all her work home and preparing to be flooded for the next few days.
"As long as we've got power it should be OK," she said.
"It's very wet, very overcast and raining quite heavily. Windy as well."
Ms Davis-Turner said she would usually be cutting hay this year but it had been far too wet.
"It's been probably one of the wettest years we've had in my lifetime," she said.
The State Emergency Service (SES) carried out a flood rescue in Gunnedah overnight, with assistance from Ambulance NSW, and so far had seen rain impacting mostly rural areas rather than more populous towns.
The SES is urging residents and holiday-makers in affected regions to check its new warning system HazardWatch on its website, with more rain forecast for the remainder of the week as a second wet weather system moves through from Friday.
