A devastating storm swept through New South Wales on Saturday night, claiming one life and wreaking havoc as it brought heavy rain and strong winds to the eastern coast.
The severe weather caused widespread flooding in Sydney's northern beaches, with residents and holidaymakers evacuated from Narrabeen Lagoon overnight. The New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) received over 1,400 calls for help during the 24 hours leading up to Sunday morning, as cars were submerged and homes flooded.
At least 20 people were rescued from the floodwaters, most of whom had been driving through the affected areas. SES Assistant Commissioner Sonya Oysten warned residents to "keep safe, keep inside if you can" and advised those unfamiliar with the roads to avoid travel altogether.
The storm also brought significant damage, with three homes destroyed by a landslide at Great Mackerel beach, 20km north of Sydney. One woman was injured in the incident, while a man in the front passenger seat suffered minor injuries.
In other parts of the state, strong winds battered coastal areas from Coffs Harbour to the Illawarra, while Queensland faced its own bout of wild weather, with thunderstorms rolling across the south-east and dumping up to 60mm of rain on some areas. Eleven flood warnings were issued in Queensland, with major flooding expected to continue for much of the next week.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast more heavy rainfall from Sydney's northern suburbs through to the Hunter coast on Sunday, with severe thunderstorm warnings stretching from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and up to Newcastle. The BOM also warned of hazardous surf conditions along the east coast, particularly at beaches stretching from Newcastle to Batemans Bay.
As the situation continues to unfold, residents are being advised to stay indoors and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. With the Australian Open set to begin in Victoria on Sunday, Melbourne is expected to reach a high of 29C, while Adelaide will be a scorcher with a top of 36C. Storms and heavy rain are also forecast for Darwin, with Perth set to reach 27C.
The severe weather caused widespread flooding in Sydney's northern beaches, with residents and holidaymakers evacuated from Narrabeen Lagoon overnight. The New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) received over 1,400 calls for help during the 24 hours leading up to Sunday morning, as cars were submerged and homes flooded.
At least 20 people were rescued from the floodwaters, most of whom had been driving through the affected areas. SES Assistant Commissioner Sonya Oysten warned residents to "keep safe, keep inside if you can" and advised those unfamiliar with the roads to avoid travel altogether.
The storm also brought significant damage, with three homes destroyed by a landslide at Great Mackerel beach, 20km north of Sydney. One woman was injured in the incident, while a man in the front passenger seat suffered minor injuries.
In other parts of the state, strong winds battered coastal areas from Coffs Harbour to the Illawarra, while Queensland faced its own bout of wild weather, with thunderstorms rolling across the south-east and dumping up to 60mm of rain on some areas. Eleven flood warnings were issued in Queensland, with major flooding expected to continue for much of the next week.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast more heavy rainfall from Sydney's northern suburbs through to the Hunter coast on Sunday, with severe thunderstorm warnings stretching from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and up to Newcastle. The BOM also warned of hazardous surf conditions along the east coast, particularly at beaches stretching from Newcastle to Batemans Bay.
As the situation continues to unfold, residents are being advised to stay indoors and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. With the Australian Open set to begin in Victoria on Sunday, Melbourne is expected to reach a high of 29C, while Adelaide will be a scorcher with a top of 36C. Storms and heavy rain are also forecast for Darwin, with Perth set to reach 27C.
this storm is so intense! I'm glad the SES was able to rescue all those people from the floodwaters tho 
. It's crazy how fast the situation can change - one minute you're driving along, next min your car is underwater 
. And 20 homes destroyed by a landslide? That's just devastating 
. The BOM needs to keep us updated on these severe weather warnings, it's getting intense over here 
. Why do we have to deal with this crazy weather every year? Can't we just have a quiet summer like Europe or somethin' 
. Anyway, gotta hope everyone stays safe and dry 
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So sad to hear about the storm in NSW, one life lost is never okay... flooding everywhere, can't even imagine how scary it must be to be stuck inside 
and all those car accidents, hope everyone involved is okay 
. And seriously, 60mm of rain in Queensland? what's going on with this weather 
. Anyone have any idea how long it'll take for things to get back to normal? 
. I mean, come on, if you're not sure where to go, how about a detailed map or something?
. And what's with the 'avoid travel altogether' advice? Are people not allowed to leave their homes anymore? 
And don't even get me started on the timing of all these storms. Perfectly awful, if you ask me 
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my mom's place is right on the beach and we're always talking about how it's gonna get flooded next time the weather gets bad 
what a night 
! The storm that hit NSW is literally insane 
, especially those who were driving through the bad roads 
. I hope everyone who was rescued from the water is doing okay 
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Three homes destroyed and one woman injured 
! Cars were submerged and everything 
! They're always prepared with their waterproof gear 
and emergency kits 
. I mean, who needs a superhero when you have Nike right?! 
and queensland getting its own wild weather too 
. hope u have a cozy day indoors with a hot cuppa 
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this storm is so unfair lol the ppl who got injured or lost their homes must be super sad 
also, i feel bad that sydney's northern beaches are flooded, those ppl must've had to leave their cars behind 
and btw, can we please talk about the layout of that news article? it's a total mess 
. And poor Darwin and Perth... heatwave here we come 
. Only hope it doesn't get worse before it gets better 
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And what about those 11 flood warnings in Queensland? Are we just gonna sit there and wait for more bad news?
And why is it that some places are getting hit harder than others? Is it like, the wind just picked up randomly or what?
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