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 at about 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.
Dean Narramore, a meteorologist at Bureau of Meteorology, 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 that 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! 🚫 🚗
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
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) February 24, 2022
Queensland Fire and Emergency Service deputy commissioner, Mark Roche, said 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 on Friday.
The BoM said an area north of Biggenden in Queensland recorded 423mm of rain in the 24 hours to 5am on Friday, with 389mm falling in just four hours.
They said “very dangerous, slow-moving storms” were forecast to hit west of the Sunshine Coast on Friday morning.
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
On the central coast, Bateau Bay recorded 116mm, Erina Heights 136mm, Mount Elliott 115mm and Wamberal Reservoir 140mm since 9am on Thursday.
Further north, Bellingen recorded 173mm, Bowraville 112mm, Dorrigo 103mm, Glennifer 135mm and Gosford 136mm.
An offshore surface trough near the Queensland-NSW border is expected to bring further downpours to northern NSW and south-east Queensland on Friday.
The NSW State Emergency Services issued an evacuation warning for low-lying areas along the Nambucca River and door knocked homes overnight.
About 630 callouts were received by the SES in the 24 hours to 6am on Thursday with 27 flood rescues, predominantly from vehicles.
Many of the calls for help were for sandbagging to protect against flooding and for damaged roofs.
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”.