Emergency workers in the ACT received 45 calls for assistance overnight on Friday as heavy rainfall swept down through southern NSW and across the territory, with 36mm falling in Canberra in the 24 hours to 8.30am on Saturday.
The Googong foreshore was closed due to the weather, extreme caution was advised for anyone travelling into the Namadgi National Park, and storm damage had brought down large tree branches overnight at various locations across the ACT.
Low-lying areas around Sydney's south, the Illawarra and along the NSW South Coast have been particularly hard hit by the "rain bomb" with NSW SES recording 2225 incidents across the state as the heavy rainfall arrived, with 4128 calls to the NSW call centre. These incidents included 44 flood rescues and storm-related damage including trees down.
Evacuations are taking place in some areas but not in the ACT.
Low-lying areas around Picton, south of Sydney, where 174.5mm of rain had fallen in the 24 hours to 9am, were reported to be under threat by floodwaters and residents in affected areas were being advised to evacuate.
The NSW online hazard warning site reported "the widespread severe weather risk is forecast to continue to clear the Illawarra by late Saturday morning and the South Coast by Saturday afternoon. More isolated severe thunderstorms may redevelop on Saturday afternoon".
The ACT Emergency Services Agency said that intense localised rainfall was expected to continue through much of the day in the territory. Most of the calls for assistance received so far in the ACT had been for water entering homes and garages.
A very large and dangerous pothole had opened up southbound on the Barton Highway overnight on Friday near the Victoria St access to Hall and police had advised motorists to take extra care in the area. A number of cars had hit the hole and damaged their tyres, according to social media reports.
Access Canberra workers were en route to the location on Saturday morning to assess the problem.
One of the biggest events on the Southern Highlands autumn calendar, the 44th Bundanoon Highland Gathering, has been called off due to the weather and the Techworkz Rally of Canberra, which has attracted a strong field of competitors from throughout the country, has been forced to cancel two stages and shorten its Saturday competitive distance.
