Parts of Sydney, the Illawarra and Central Coast were battered by heavy rainfall on Friday morning, as severe thunderstorm warnings were issued amid concerns of flash flooding.
Up to 50 millimetres of rain fell in one hour near the Warragamba Dam in south-west Sydney, while the Central Coast experienced 80 millimetres of rain as heavy thunderstorms swept through the area.
Thunderstorms from Lake Macquarie to Wollongong are being produced by a surface trough off the NSW coast, which has dragged moisture from the sea and brought intense showers for the Sydney, Central Coast and Illawarra regions.
Storm clouds loom over Brighton Le Sands Beach.Credit: Louise Kennerley
The Hunter and Mid North Coast regions experienced significant showers on Friday, with a severe storm warning issued amid concerns of flash flooding.
Heavy rainfall in the greater Wollongong region eased late on Friday morning. A thunderstorm warning for the area, which also included Campbelltown, was cancelled shortly before 1pm.
Flash flooding warnings for select parts of the South Coast, including Kiama, Port Kembla and Albion Park, remained on Friday afternoon.
Jack Sultana packs up his rain-soaked camp site at Bents Basin State Conservation Area near Wallacia on Friday.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said thunderstorms in Sydney would be “quite dynamic” on Friday, with south-west Sydney and suburbs near Sydney Airport among those at the greatest risk of extreme weather.
“These storms are likely to bring flash flooding. We’ve seen pretty heavy rainfall totals, 70 millimetres in three hours in Lake Macquarie, a couple of locations picked up more than 60mm in past few hours,” How said.
