More than 100 flood alerts and evacuation orders remain in place for areas from Sydney's north-west to the Riverina as flooding continues across New South Wales.
Despite rainfall easing over the past few days many swollen catchments across the state remain at moderate or major flood levels.
Communities along the Murrumbidgee, Lachlan, Colo and Namoi rivers are preparing to be isolated and people in areas along the Hawkesbury are preparing to leave.
It is all ahead of more forecast rain from Thursday, which is expected to mainly impact southern and western parts of the state that are already flooded.
"The further south you are the more you're really going to be getting of this rainfall," the Bureau of Meteorology's Helen Kirkup said.
"Unfortunately, that means Wednesday and Thursday are looking very wet."
Forbes in the Central West and Gunnedah in New England have both escaped major flooding.
Riverina residents on alert
Those in Wagga Wagga’s low lying suburbs are making preparations for what is expected to be the biggest flood in a decade.
The Murrumbidgee River is expected to peak at 9.3 metres tomorrow evening.
In 2012 the river reached 10.56m.
Tomorrow's expected peak has not been reached since then.
Scott McLennan from the State Emergency Service (SES) said water from upstream was starting to make its way into the city.
"Overnight we've seen the river rise and continue to rise, and we're now starting to see some low lying levels around North Wagga start to be inundated with floodwater," Mr McLennan said.
Residents in North Wagga Wagga and other low-lying areas of the city, including Moorong and Flowerdale, are preparing to be isolated or evacuated.
It is the second time in two months that North Wagga Wagga has prepared for flooding.
Tim Kurylowicz, whose property flooded in 1974 and 2012, said he was preparing for his house to be cut off.
"This house, she's lived through a few floods before and she'll survive a few more as well," he said.
"We just have to be the same way."
Major flooding is still occurring upstream at Gundagai, which saw a peak of about 9.04 metres pass overnight.
Roads and bridges in the Gundagai area remain inundated and the caravan park is underwater, but there have been no calls for assistance there over two days of major flooding.
Upstream from Gundagai, releases from Burrinjuck Dam into the Murrumbidgee River remain high, but have reduced to 65,000 megalitres per day.
Schooling impacted across the state
North Wagga Public will operate from a different school in Turvey Park from today due to the impacts of flooding.
In a statement, the Department of Education said the school would continue to work with emergency services to ensure staff and students were safe.
Many students across inland NSW have had the start of Term 4 this week disrupted due to the floodwaters and road closures.
Some staff and teachers have had to be ferried across floodwaters by RFS trucks to get to school.
The interruptions have coincided with the start of the Higher School Certificate (HSC).
Support has been offered for HSC students in flood-impacted regions across New South Wales.
The first exam is tomorrow, with 76,000 students statewide sitting the English exam.
Central West preparing for isolation
Major flooding is no longer expected at Forbes in the state's Central West.
The SES says the Lachlan River is likely to reach 10.4 metres in the town on Wednesday, which is just below the major flood peak.
"[It's] probably not going to reach the earlier predicted above-major flood levels for many of those areas along the Lachlan," Mr McLennan said.
Farms up and downstream of Forbes are isolated and the SES says they will likely remain cut off for the next few days.
A prepare-to-evacuate order remains in place for several streets in the town's south.
But Mr McLennan said the SES was not aware of any homes being inundated.
Warren and Wee Waa could be cut off
The SES is also urging communities at Warren and Wee Waa to prepare for further isolation.
Major flooding is occurring at Warren, on the Macquarie Wambuul River in the state's west, which is above the major flood level at 9.61m.
The Bureau of Meteorology says the Namoi River at Wee Waa may reach the major flood level overnight tonight.
SES deputy commissioner Daniel Austin said the towns "once again will be inundated and isolated to varying degrees as that water moves down".
Meanwhile, Gunnedah has avoided what would have been its third major flood in a month.
