Sydney and northern New South Wales face more heavy rain, Bureau of Meteorology warns
/ By John DoneganThe Bureau of Meteorology is warning parts of New South Wales could be in for another deluge, with a new low pressure system to form off the coast later this week.
The bureau is closely monitoring the situation with computer modelling showing the likelihood that weather patterns could be repeated this week.
"What we do know is that most of the forecasting guidance shows a low pressure system developing off the northern New South Wales coast, but we are not able to determine the exact position, timing and intensity of the system this far out," Bureau of Meteorology New South Wales regional director Barry Hanstrum said.
People who live in areas that can become flood-affected should know the safest route to travel in the event that they might need to evacuate.
"Early indications suggest the main impacts of intense rainfall and strong winds will be on coastal areas in the state's north-east including the Northern Rivers and Mid North coasts."
Mr Hanstrum said the heaviest rain was expected to fall between Thursday and Saturday in catchment areas that have already experienced flooding.
The bureau has alerted emergency services, which are currently cleaning up after last week's storms, to the prospect of more damaging rain and wind..
Manager of the bureau's NSW Weather Services, Andrew Treloar said Sydney could be affected by this weather event.
"Current guidance suggests that Sydney is likely to be on the fringe of this event," Mr Treloar told 702 ABC Sydney.
"However, we're alert to the possibility of the low pressure system progressing further south over the weekend."
The Sydney Western Region SES has warned residents that rivers are still swollen and creek catchments saturated, which could lead to significant flooding in the event of further heavy rain.
People who live in the flood zones of the Hawkesbury Nepean area should ensure they have a sufficient supply of essentials including food, medications, and batteries.
The Mayor of Hawkesbury City Council, Kim Ford, said that the council was monitoring the situation and liaising with the SES.
"Warragamba Dam is at 95 per cent and if it overflows we may get some low-level flooding," Cr Ford said.
Cr Ford said if flooding reached three metres some people may need to be evacuated from low-lying areas.
"We'll wait on advice from the SES," Cr Ford said.
He said the council was preparing for road closures if significant rain accompanied the forecast low pressure system.
"People who live in areas that can become flood-affected should know the safest route to travel in the event that they might need to evacuate," the Sydney Western Region SES warned on their Facebook page.
The SES still has almost 5,000 jobs to complete and more than 30,000 properties remain without power across New South Wales as the recovery operation continues.
They had 1,000 calls for assistance when torrential hail struck parts of Sydney on Saturday, compounding the damage already caused by the intense low pressure system which flooded Sydney, the Central Coast and Mid-North Coast last week.
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