Rain bomb brings severe weather to NSW: What you need to know

The SES has warned Sydney’s Warragamba Dam is reaching capacity as heavy rainfall batters the state.

The dam, which is the main water supply source for the city, was at 96 per cent on Thursday and might start overflowing later this morning.

Communities downstream have been told to follow the latest emergency advice and flood warnings.

The emergency service said the Nepean Dam has already spilled, Nine reported.

The main drivers behind this week’s heavy rainfall over eastern NSW were a near-stationary low pressure trough interacting with a stagnant pool of cold upper-level air and a relentless stream of moisture-laden winds.

However, there were a several unique characteristics about this weather event that resulted in colossal rainfall and devastating flooding:

• A broad pool of cold upper-level air has been lingering over NSW since the start of this week. This cold air aloft provided what meteorologists refer to as upper-level forcing, which deepened a low pressure trough near the surface and enhanced convection (clouds forming in rising air) over eastern NSW.
• The low pressure trough hardly moved over the space of four days, which caused heavy rain to remain focussed on the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions for a prolonged period.
• The onshore winds feeding the rain this week have extended through a deep layer of the atmosphere, which provided copious fuel for rain-bearing clouds.
• Above average sea surface temperatures in the Tasman Sea provided extra atmospheric moisture, increasing how much water was in the sky to fall as rain.
• The landscape across eastern NSW was already wet before this week’s rain arrived, which exacerbated the extent and severity of flooding.
• Source: Weatherzone

Supermarkets that remain open have had shelves stripped bare by shoppers fearing they’re next to be cut off.

At Laurieton, south of Port Macquarie, where minor flooding is occurring along the Camden Haven River, the bread shelves were empty at Coles.

‘We are keeping a close eye on the evolving situation in NSW, and most of our stores remain open with plenty of food and supplies,’ a Coles spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Our Wingham and Kempsey stores have had to unfortunately close at this stage, and we will reopen these as soon as it is safe to do so.’

‘Our teams are working hard to ensure we have extra food deliveries on their way to our stores, so our communities can be rest assured that we will continue to serve them as long as it’s safe to do so.’

‘These will remain closed until further notice,’ a spokesman said.

But the Woolworths at Taree remains open, as Australia’s biggest supermarket chain keeps all of its supermarkets open between Newcastle and Port Macquarie.

‘Deliveries of essential grocery items continue to travel to most of the impacted communities along the coast,’ the spokesman added.

‘However, customers will find reduced product availability in our Taree and Gloucester stores due to a number of road closures.

‘With a number of communities along the mid north coast remaining on flood watch, we’re continuing to closely monitor conditions and the advice of authorities to ensure the safety of our team and customers.’

Port Macquarie local David Lazarus said getting a loaf of bread at his local Bakers Delight was a challenge as the floodwaters stopped staff from coming into work.

‘I’ve noticed today that when we buy some bread at the Bakers Delight – they’ve closed because they can’t get staff,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Their staff are isolated where they live. Not only can’t you get a loaf of bread, there’s no one to serve you the loaf of bread because there’s so many businesses that actually shut their doors.

‘It’s really affecting a lot of people – all businesses in Port Macquarie.’

An aerial photo shows flooding at Settlement Point Road in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Thursday

An aerial photo shows NSW Fire Rescue personnel assisting an elderly resident during flooding in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Thursday.

Heavy rain which fuelled deadly and devastating flooding along Australia’s east coast is moving south, leaving behind flooded communities to deal with a massive mop-up.

A slow-moving trough which delivered intense rain will bring further heavy falls to parts of the NSW Hunter region, Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands, extending further south throughout Friday morning.

Three people have been confirmed dead as a result of the floods in the Hunter region and mid-north coast.

Many more have been rescued after entering floodwaters.

A police officer driving a sedan was travelling with a 60-year-old woman in a 4WD when they came across water over a road near Dorrigo on Wednesday night, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner David Waddell said.

The officer checked the water level which was ‘ankle deep’ and told the woman he was not continuing, advising her to be cautious and not enter floodwaters.

The woman phoned the officer 30 minutes later saying she was in trouble about 17km away, Mr Waddell said.

She was found dead inside the 4WD on Thursday.

‘We’re just encouraging people, please do not enter these floodwaters,’ Mr Waddell said.

‘It is a really dangerous once-in-a-lifetime event and there’s been some tragedies … obviously the police officer who spoke to the woman is very traumatised.’

A 63-year-old man’s body was earlier found on a flooded home’s verandah at Moto.

The body of a man believed to be in his 30s was found in floodwaters west of Port Macquarie on Wednesday.

There are grave fears for another man who remains missing.

All of the deaths will be reviewed by the coroner.

Heavy falls potentially totalling 150mm in 24 hours could bring flash flooding at Goulburn and south to Bega, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.

Disaster assistance from the state and commonwealth governments has been expanded, with 19 areas now eligible for support.

Specialist disaster lawyers would provide free advice about rejected insurance claims, housing issues and assistance grants, Legal Aid NSW said.

Additional emergency services personnel were travelling from Victoria to assist on Thursday night.

Australian National University flood researcher Mahdi Sedighkia said the latest floods should prompt a rethink in disaster management to mitigate future events.

‘We are clearly witnessing a marked increase in both the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, highlighting the urgent need to reassess how we understand and manage flood risks,’ Dr Sedighkia said.