The rains have hit in the NSW Hunter Valley with severe weather warnings in place and Dungog receiving a month’s rainfall already this morning.
Dungog got 117 millimetres from 4:15 am to 5:15 am.
A detailed severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of Maitland/Cessnock and the greater Newcastle areas.
Thunderstorms with a shear line to the north of Newcastle have the potential to produce heavy rainfall.
The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 10:05am, severe thunderstorms were detected on the weather radar. They are forecast to affect Raymond Terrace, Williamtown and Medowie by 10:35 am and Seaham, Morpeth and Tocal by 11:05 am.
Heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding is likely.
A severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall is current for the Hunter and lower Mid North Coast.
Thunderstorms near a trough about the Hunter and Lower Mid North Coast have the potential to produce very heavy rainfall, with rainfall rates exceeding 70mm in one hour.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce very heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Taree, Newcastle, Seal Rocks, Bulahdelah, Barrington Tops, Wingham, Nelson Bay, Raymond Terrace and Dungog.
There is also a severe weather warning current for Newcastle, Central Coast, lower Hunter and southern Mid North Coast.
A deep coastal trough along central parts of the coast, cradled between two strong high pressure systems is bringing widespread rainfall to Newcastle, Lower Hunter and the Central Coast. There is potential for very intense bursts of rain in these areas, creating dangerous conditions.
Heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding is expected over Newcastle, Central Coast and Lower Hunter during Wednesday.
Very heavy rainfall, with rainfall rates exceeding 70 mm in one hour, are also possible with thunderstorms.
100mm to 200mm is expected over the warning area during Wednesday. Some locations may receive more than 200mm.
Locations which may be affected include Newcastle, Gosford, Cessnock, Maitland, Dungog, Barrington Tops, Singleton, Wyong, The Entrance, Lake Macquarie, Woy Woy, Dungog, Port Stephens and Buledelah.
Hunter State Emergency Service spokeswoman Simone Burrows said there had been about 41 jobs in the Hunter by 8am on Wednesday.
"Those are sandbagging and leaking roofs," she said.
The jobs were relatively scattered, Ms Burrows said, despite heavy early falls in Dungog.
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"There has been 117mm recorded in Dungog," she said.
Low-lying areas in the shire had been on alert, she said, advice that remained in place from the SES as the Bureau extended its warnings, which covered a broad area due to the weather pattern's unpredictability.
"The event is really uncertain but we are warning people that this is the time to prepare," Ms Burrows said.
Looking ahead The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast 5 to 15mm of showers on Thursday in Scone, 40-70mm in Maitland, while it eases off in the Central West, and storm rain looks possible to drop about 3-10mm at Wentworth in the west.
A flood watch is in place for the Central Coast, Newcastle, lower Hunter and Manning Rivers.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of local overland flooding as well riverine flooding from today (Wednesday) onwards.
Catchments likely to be affected include:
- Manning River – minor flooding
- Wallis Lake – local flooding
- Myall River – local flooding
- Karuah River – local flooding
- Wollombi Brook and Lower Hunter River – minor flooding
- Newcastle Area – local flooding
- Paterson and Williams Rivers – minor flooding
- Central Coast – local flooding
- Lake Macquarie – local flooding