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Dark clouds hovered over Bondi Beach earlier today. An ominous sign of the weather to come this weekend. Photo by Brianne Makin
HEAVY rainfall and thunderstorms that might lead to flash flooding are forecast to continue for much of the NSW coast this weekend.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that the weather might lead to flash flooding on the south coast today.
Severe weather warnings are now in place for much of the state’s south coast, including Illawarra, with Sydney motorists warned that roads could become deadly in the downfall.
The State Emergency Service has responded to more than 500 calls for help across NSW over the past two days, mostly for leaky roofs and fallen trees. One of the worst hit areas was Sydney’s Hills district, with many houses already damaged by a severe hailstorm last month.
SES spokesperson Sue Pritchard said there was still a lot of water over roads.
“Particularly on the south coast so we’re asking people to take care,” she said.
Moruya, on the NSW far south coast, recorded the largest rainfall total of 134 millimetres.
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for northwest NSW including Tamworth and Dubbo.
A flood watch is in place for Bega and Moruya and the BoM has urged all Sydney motorists to take care with slippery roads and reduced visibility in heavy rain making driving conditions dangerous on Saturday.
The effects in NSW were already being felt on Friday with flooded streets in Sydney and even raw sewage flooding homes.
Clouds hover over Bondi Beach in Sydney on Saturday morning. Picture: Brianne MakinSource:News Corp Australia
The 2017 Sydney mardi gras parade is expected to be hit by heavy rain, unlike last year when skies were sunny and clear. Picture: Toby ZernaSource:News Corp Australia
The Sydney Mardi Gras parade will go ahead this evening, despite heavy rain and flash flooding forecast for much of the New South Wales coast.
But Sydneysiders celebrating the 39th annual event will dodge the worst of weekend rain with the NSW south coast preparing to cop the brunt of it, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Parts of Sydney were hit by heavy falls on Friday but rain is expected to ease in the city ahead of this evening’s parade.
Sugar Cane AKA Brett Paradise is taking part in Sydney's 2017 Gay and Lesbian mardi gras festival. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images.Source:Getty Images
The country’s premier celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people will this evening see 184 floats travel down Oxford St with more than 300,000 spectators expected to turn out. The theme of the event is ‘equality’. The parade will run half an hour shorter because of wet weather but rain won’t dampen the event, according to organisers.
According to the bureau, a low pressure system dumped more than 100mm of rain in parts of the state, with the city notching 28 millimetres, over night. But it’s not over yet.
While the gay capital of Australia might escape a torrential downpour on its campest night of nights, others parts of the state and country might not be so lucky.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
BoM has released a track map for the possible Tropical Cyclone Blanche. Picture: BoMSource:Supplied
The Northern Territory is also bracing to cop some wild weather as a Tropical Low continues to gain momentum in the Arafura Sea and the Top End is put on cyclone watch. The low is expected to move towards the south or southwest during the weekend and might form into a tropical cyclone near the Tiwi Islands on Sunday. The cyclone is forecast to cross the north Kimberley coast later on Monday or early Tuesday.
VICTORIA AND TASMANIA
Melbourne is today expected to reach a high of 28C with a possible shower in the afternoon. Hobart will see blue skies and 22-24C, a milder outlook following high temperatures well above average — reaching almost 27C — earlier this week.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Perth will be the hottest capital this weekend, with the mercury soaring as high as 39C on both Saturday and Sunday.
Adelaide will also push past 30C but it will be more manageable than Perth with a high of 33C on Saturday.
QUEENSLAND
There is a possibility of showers in Brisbane across the weekend and a maximum of 30C on Saturday. Light rain can be expected anywhere on the coast with heavy showers and possible storms in the Far North of the state.