Sydney has experienced its wettest summer in three decades and the most humid season in 10 years, with more torrential rain forecast for the New South Wales north coast and south-east Queensland over the coming days.
The heavy rain and flooding has already led to three deaths – two in Queensland and one in NSW.
A man died after his vehicle was lost in floodwaters on the NSW Central Coast overnight. The body of the 54-year-old Matcham man was found in a Toyota LandCruiser near the Maddens Creek crossing at Matcham, east of Gosford, about 1.30am on Friday.
Emergency services were called after reports a vehicle had gone missing in floodwaters around midnight.
Ben Domensino, a Weatherzone meteorologist, said Sydney had received 570mm of rain so far this summer – the highest total since 1991.
It has also been the most humid summer in a decade. Domensino said the air in Sydney hadn’t felt so sticky since 2011, which was also a La Niña summer.
The NSW State Emergency Service said it had responded to 630 jobs in the past 24 hours, with 27 flood rescues concentrated around the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and Central Coast.
Dean Narramore, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), said rainfall totals in some areas from Byron Bay in NSW to Fraser Island in Queensland could exceed 300mm in the coming days.
“This is a dangerous setup as very heavy rainfall falls over already saturated soils,” Narramore said on Thursday afternoon.
He said the homes of people living near rivers or creeks could be inundated and there was a risk of dangerous flash flooding.
The body of a motorcyclist missing in the Queensland floods was found on Thursday after his bike was swept away by rising water the previous day.
A 63-year-old woman was also killed in the floods. Her body was found in her car submerged in flood waters west of Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday morning.
Now is NOT the time to be on the road! 🚫 🚗
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) February 24, 2022
When faced with floodwater, the bravest and smartest thing you can do is BACK IT UP.
📸 Flying Fox Bridge, Upper Coomera Road pic.twitter.com/XXDXSJ6Xsf
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service deputy commissioner, Mark Roche, said on Friday that his organisation made more than 30 flood rescues and responded to 100 calls for help overnight.
“People are possibly getting surprised by the water on the roadway, but with this weather, people should be prepared,” he told Nine’s Today program.
The BoM said Old Range Road south of Bundaberg recorded the highest rainfall in the state, with 463mm falling in the past 24 hours. Pomona had recorded 445mm since midnight, while Cooran recorded 410mm.
It said “very dangerous, slow-moving storms” were continuing to hit south-east Queensland into Friday afternoon.
⚠️ UPDATED Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Very dangerous thunderstorms are now forecast to affect #Toowoomba #Pomona and #Kenilworth by 9:25 am and the area east of #Gympie #BorumbaDam and #KinKin by 9:55 am. Stay up to date at https://t.co/FBmpsInT9o pic.twitter.com/6RB4rA8fEU
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) February 24, 2022
The BoM warned “very dangerous thunderstorms” were detected on the weather radar near Fernbale, Conondale and Hatton Vale late Friday morning.
“These thunderstorms are slow-moving,” it said. “Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Laidley, the area north of Woodford and the area west of Conondale by 11:50am and Gatton, Upper Brookfield and Mount Kilcoy by 12:20pm.”
A severe weather warning projecting damaging winds and intense rainfall remained in place for Wide Bay and Burnett, the south-east coast and parts of Darling Downs and Granite Belt, including Brisbane.
A severe thunderstorm warning was also listed for south-east Queensland, parts of Gympie and Noosa, with intense rainfall projected to lead to “dangerous, life-threatening flash flooding” in the area.
“Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast to continue over parts of south-east Queensland today and potentially through Saturday morning,” the BoM said.
“Locally intense rainfall leading to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is possible with thunderstorms during this period, particularly over areas north of Brisbane. Six-hourly rainfall totals in excess of 300mm are possible.
“Damaging wind gusts with peak gusts in excess of 90km/h are possible over areas east of about Seventeen Seventy to Brisbane, although most likely near the coast north of Maroochydore.”
Hoping the rain stops soon in SE #Queensland …#floods on the Sunshine Coast overnight! pic.twitter.com/qtMS2nWV8t
— Cate Heinrich (@cateheinrich) February 23, 2022
More than a dozen flood warnings were in place across Queensland, with heavy rainfall in excess of 200mm recorded over the past 24 hours in the Mary River catchment at Gympie.
Flash flooding had cut off dozens of roads in Brisbane, Bundaberg, the Darling Downs, the Gold Coast Hinterland, Gympie, Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Noosa, the Sunshine Coast and its Hinterland, Toowoomba, the Department of Transport said.
The mid-north coast and central coast copped the brunt of the NSW rain on Thursday with more than 100mm falling in several areas in the space of 24 hours.
Between 9am Thursday and 7am Friday, Bateau Bay recorded 116mm, Erina Heights 136mm, Mount Elliott 115mm, and Wamberal Reservoir 140mm and Gosford 136mm.
Further north, Bellingen recorded 173mm, Bowraville 112mm, Dorrigo 103mm, and Glennifer 135mm.
Between 9am and 2pm on Friday, 25mm fell at Port Kembla in the Illawarra and 29mm fell on the south coast at Nowra.
Further north near the Qld border, 36mm fell at Numinbah in the same time.
The northern rivers, Mid North Coast and Central Coast are the areas of concern for the SES on Friday.
The SES assistant commissioner, Dean Storey, told the ABC there was a “very concerning weather system … sitting just off the coast and due to make landfall”.
