A “bomb cyclone” lingering off the coast of New South Wales is expected to bring more wet and wild weather, including damaging winds and rain, to the region.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of a “severe” weather system that will affect parts of the state over the coming hours.
Coastal communities have already been lashed by wind and rain throughout the week, causing widespread power outages and flooding in some areas.
While conditions are forecast to begin easing from Thursday, the BOM warned that damaging winds may persist in parts of the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, and Northern Tablelands.
Homes Inundated, SES Crews Called Out
Parts of the south coast have seen more than 200mm of rain over two days, with homes inundated and SES crews called out to respond to emergencies.
The SES is monitoring the Hawkesbury River north-west of Sydney and the Peel River in Tamworth, with residents in low-lying areas urged to keep an eye on water levels.
A tree fell on a home in the town of Ulladulla, which fared the worst during the two-day event.
The SES is anticipating more calls for help on Thursday morning after wind gusts of more than 100km/h overnight and further rain in parts of the state.
Warragamba Dam Begins to Spill
WaterNSW authorities have confirmed that Warragamba Dam has begun to spill, with storage at the facility reaching capacity on Wednesday night.
The dam is currently spilling at a rate of 53 gigalitres per day, with other minor dams across the state also spilling.
Thousands of Homes Remain in the Dark
Emergency crews have restored electricity to more than 46,000 homes following two days of severe weather, but 1,650 residents with complex repairs still remain without power as of Thursday morning.
In the Sydney region, there are 150 customers still to be reconnected, with 950 customers to go in the Central Coast and 550 in the Newcastle and Hunter area.