Dangerous rainfall has forced families from their northern NSW homes for the second time in weeks, as flooding hits many of the same areas.
Northeastern NSW has been drenched with widespread falls with totals between 100 and 200mm, and up to 251mm at Murwillumbah, Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How told AAP.
Large rainfall totals were also observed to the south in the state's Central Coast region, in Sydney and the city's west, How said.
"We have seen overnight very strong river rises through some towns across the northeast," he said, including the Tweed and Wilson rivers, Murwullimbah, as well as areas along the Richmond River including Coraki, Kyogle and Casino.
"These are all communities impacted by the recent flooding, but it's not going to be quite as bad as what we did see earlier this month," How said.
"Still, because many people are still cleaning up it's not not good news for them."
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He said floodwaters had also risen in the Hawkesbury-Nepean, and a minor flood warning had been issued for western Sydney.
Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said residents were suffering from flood fatigue.
"Obviously everybody is exhausted. We've had a month of clean-up," Mr Krieg told the ABC on Tuesday morning.
It has led to multiple evacuation orders throughout the flood-wrecked regional centre of Lismore on Tuesday.
Further inland, major flooding is occurring at Angledool as flow from Queensland caused the Narran River level to rise.
Flash flooding which could become life-threatening is predicted for the Northern Rivers, the Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands on Tuesday night.
The forecast zone includes Lismore, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Tenterfield and Dorrigo, with How saying much of the east coast is under threat of intense falls.
Some 6600 people have been ordered to evacuate in parts of Tumbulgum, Mullumbimby , Billinudgel, North Lismore, Kyogle and South Lismore, the NSW State Emergency Service told AAP.
A further 9100 people have also been issued evacuation warnings for Condong, South Murwillumbah, Lismore CBD, East Lismore and Girards Hills.
Some 14 flood rescues have been carried out and 462 calls for help were taken in the last 24 hours.
In flood-hit Lismore, the Wilsons River rose several metres on Tuesday morning and is approaching moderate flood levels, with major flooding expected later on Tuesday afternoon.
The bureau has warned the river could reach a height of 10.6 metres, near the height of the Lismore levee.
The La Nina weather pattern should dissolve by autumn after drenching the east for a second year, but similar events are likely to bring more extreme rainfall to Australia in coming years, Dr Nina Ridder of UNSW's Climate Change Research Centre told AAP.
"We're definitely seeing a change in global weather patterns because of climate change."
Australian Associated Press
