Get out now: Mass evacuations, highways and schools closed as wild weather smashes NSW

Hundreds of residents have been ordered to evacuate as torrential rain continues to cause havoc in parts of NSW.

The evacuations come as authorities resume their search for a 26-year-old woman swept away by floodwaters during a girls’ weekend away in the Hunter Valley on Saturday.

Residents in low-lying parts of Raymond Terrace in the Hunter and Gunnedah in north-central NSW were ordered to evacuate on Sunday night.

‘You must evacuate now because inundation is occurring and evacuation routes will be closed due to floodwaters,’ one SES alert read.

A major flood warning for Gunnedah’s Namoi River remains in place, while a moderate alert for the Peel River is expected to cause minor flooding in Tamworth, Narrabri and Wee Waa.

The Oxley Highway remains closed between Gunnedah and Carroll, along with the New England Highway at Muswellbrook.

More than 50 warnings remain in place for the mid-north NSW coast, Upper Hunter and New England regions. 

A total of 29 schools on the mid-north and central coasts, the Hunter and New England regions have been closed. 

Emergency workers were called north of Cessnock on Saturday night after reports of a car stranded in floodwaters.

The female driver, 27, managed to escape, but her friend, 26, was dragged away by the strong current. Crews are still searching for her.

State Emergency Service crews responding to the missing woman alert also saved a 40-year-old man who was stuck in a nearby tree due to floodwaters.

The man was swept out of the tree but rescuers followed him into the water and managed to pull him to safety.

Since the onset of the severe weather, NSW SES has received more than 3,600 calls and responded to 2,092 incidents, including 25 flood rescues. 

A severe weather warning was cancelled on Monday ahead of more settled conditions, although riverine rises remain a risk as floodwaters move downstream.

Minor flood warnings are current for the Manning, Gloucester, Macleay, Severn, Paterson, Williams, and Gwydir Rivers.

High winds and storms also battered the other side of the country in Western Australia. Almost 20,000 homes were without power in Perth on Sunday as storms swept through the city.