Heavy rainfall and damaging winds have wreaked havoc on communities west of Sydney, with swollen rivers still threatening residents’ homes.
Evacuation orders remain in place for towns along the Napean and Hawkesbury rivers. The Hawkesbury is predicted to peak near 9.6 metres, with nearby towns bracing for flooding.
Sixty emergency warnings remain active across the state, with NSW State Emergency Services (SES) issuing at least a dozen evacuation orders due to flooding concerns.
Residents and business owners cleared to return are assessing the damage to their properties after they were hit with 200mm to 250mm of rain in 24 hours.
NSW SES Chief Superintendent Dallas Burnes said the state clean-up will be “significant”.
“We have seen the highest peak and we’re now following that water downstream and making sure we warn the communities in its path,” she told Nine’s Weekend Today.
The wild weather has caused landslides, flash flooding, and inundated homes, and emergency service workers have performed over 200 flood rescues.
This is how the wild weather has unfolded, in pictures:
An Airbnb cabin in Illawara was ripped from its foundations and washed away by the downpour. The couple trapped inside managed to escape. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
The flooded ferry wharf in Paramatta on Friday. Source: Getty / Saeed Khan
SES workers performed over 100 rescues on Saturday. Source: Getty / James D. Morgan
A landslide damaged Megalong Rd in the Blue Mountains, isolating some residents. Source: AAP / Supplied
Cattle in a flooded paddock on Friday. Source: Getty / James D. Morgan
An aerial shot of flooding in North Narrabeen. Some areas were under evacuation orders. Source: AAP / Tim Seaton
Heavy rain caused a landslide at Coatcliff in Wollongong, with fallen rocks and debris cutting off the road. Source: Getty / Saeed Khan
Floodwaters in front of an automotive repair shop in North Narrabeen. Source: Getty
Heavy rain caused landslides, with debris bursting a pipe and causing it to spill out onto the road. Source: Getty
NSW SES workers have performed rescues in rivers inundated by rainfall. Credit: Twitter/NSW SES
Stables partially flooded in the Richmond and Windsor region. Source: Getty / Jenny Evans
More than 4,000 NSW SES volunteers have responded to incidents statewide following the wild weather. Credit: Twitter/NSW SES
Flooding on Corrimal St in Corrimal, Wollongong. Source: AAP, Supplied / SUPPLIED/PR IMAGE
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