Much of New South Wales is experiencing a wet start to May, with this pattern expected to persist for another week. The state’s south coast is under a severe weather warning, and flash flooding has been reported on the Central Coast.
By Sunday morning, Sydney’s Observatory Hill had recorded 92.8mm of rain for the month, nearing the May average of 117.4mm. Jordan Notara from the Bureau of Meteorology noted that if the current trend continues, the total rainfall could reach the monthly average by Monday morning.
In the city’s south, Cronulla saw 69mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9 am on Sunday. Point Perpendicular at Jervis Bay set a new record with 143mm of rain in 24 hours, the highest for May since 2003.
Emergency services respond to flooding across New South Wales as severe weather continues.A severe weather warning was issued for the Illawarra region, including Wollongong, Bulli, Port Kembla, Albion Park, Kiama, and Huskisson. Residents were advised to avoid unnecessary travel due to heavy rainfall forecasts.
Flash flooding impacted areas along the coast, with emergency services rescuing a driver from a car roof in Tea Gardens on the Central Coast early Sunday. Thunderstorms were expected along the north coast, with severe storms likely in the northern rivers. Byron Coast had a hazardous surf warning for Sunday.
Notara indicated that the weather front affecting Illawarra is moving north, bringing heavier rainfall to Sydney and the Central Coast, with showers expected to continue along the east coast for at least the next week. The weather pattern suggests persistent showers throughout the day.
The NSW SES received 95 emergency assistance calls, mainly for sandbags due to flash flooding. In Brisbane, storms were predicted for Sunday and showers for Monday’s public holiday. Meanwhile, Melbourne enjoyed stable and mild weather, and Western Australia saw its highest May rainfall in over 82 years.