Huge rains and high winds have swept Australia's east coast this week, with communities across NSW bracing for difficult conditions and flash flooding into the weekend.
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The storm system is travelling south along the eastern seaboard after delivering falls in northern NSW and south east Queensland earlier this week, where a man was found dead near Logan on Thursday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has ruled out the development of an east coast low, with the system expected to move into the Tasman Sea by Sunday.
A severe weather warning remains in place along the coast from Morisset on Lake Macquarie's southern shores, through Sydney and the South Coast, beyond Bega and just shy of Merimbula.
Heavy rainfall and damaging winds are likely as far inland as parts of the Lower Hunter, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands and in the Snowy Mountains.
Easterly winds are set to average 60 to 70km with with gusts of up to 90km, while more than 100mm of rain will likely force spills of Warragamba Dam by Monday.
Most rivers across the regions are bracing for the potential of at least minor flooding, with the Hawkesbury-Nepean facing the possibility of major floodwaters late on Friday.
The Wilsons River came close to minor flood levels at Lismore on Friday morning before waters began to recede, though residents along the Richmond River at Coraki and Bungawalbyn are still on watch.
Sheep graziers across much of the state are also being warned for potential lamb losses with cold temperatures and easterly winds forecast into Saturday.
Sydney's Observatory Hill received 111mm in the 24 hours to 9am on Friday, a similar 112mm coming down at Kurrajong Heights.
Houghlahans Creek near Lismore noted 106mm in the same period, with healthy falls above 20mm at Tamworth and Bathurst.
The rain could provide some relief to the drought-afflicted Upper Hunter, however, with 21mm at the stricken Merriwa, 34mm in parts of Scone, and 50mm at Milbrodale near Singleton.
