Sydney is currently experiencing its wettest year on record, and several areas of western New South Wales are on flood warning.
After 27.2mm of rain fell at Sydney’s Observatory Hill Bureau of Meteorology station since 9am today, the previous yearly record of 2194mm of rain, which had stood since 1950, was broken.
After 11 a.m., the most of the rain fell over the course of about 90 minutes.
More rain is anticipated to fall before the end of the year, adding to the record, with little over three months left in 2022 and the BOM announcing its third consecutive La Nia.
After just two weeks, Sydney’s July set a new milestone for rainfall, surpassing the 336.1% mark set in 1950 on the route to a total of 404mm.
When 554mm fell in March, that record of 521. 4mm was broken.
Rivers on and west of the Great Dividing Range will see moderate to serious flooding as a result of the continued downpour, affecting cities like Tamworth, Dubbo, and Bathurst.
Inland NSW is under a severe weather warning for torrential rain and thunderstorms, and this week is not looking much better.
On Thursday afternoon, showers and thunderstorms are expected across much of the state, with the southwest expecting severe storms, significant rainfall, potential hail, and dangerous winds.
Advice and Watch and Act alerts have been issued across the state since the SES switched to the Australian Warning System last month, marking the system’s first test.
According to SES assistant commander Sean Kearns, there are currently more than 40 warnings in effect, with flooding in the communities of Forbes, Warren, Dubbo, Nyngan, and Bathurst being of particular concern.
He said on Nine’s Today show, “We are also watching this weather system as it may go into metropolitan areas on the east coast.”
Flood recovery Minister Steph Cooke reported that more than 500 SES volunteers were on the ground due to flood dangers throughout the state.
The river systems, those canals, and our dams are all but full, she remarked, adding that our landscapes are completely saturated.
Graziers have been told to shield their stock from the wind and rain as farmers fear the most recent downpour will destroy another crop.
The BOM cautioned that “there is a danger of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions.”
Many NSW communities are experiencing additional floods, including Warren, where the Macquarie River is seeing significant flooding once more.
According to Carolyn Monkley, proprietor of Macquarie Caravan Park, “it hasn’t been hammering down with rain, but we have had such a lot of rain constantly, virtually since Christmas, that it really doesn’t have a chance to dry out.”
“This place has a completely different rainfall pattern from the coast. A few inches of rain makes things incredibly… wet.
Condobolin, Nyngan, Cobar, Bourke, Wanaaring, and Brewarrina are a few other towns to be concerned about.
The Namoi, Macquarie, Bogan, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Murray, Edward, Culgoa, Birrie, Bokhara, Warrego, Paroo, Barwon, Darling, Macintyre, and Snowy rivers are among the inland catchments that are now under flood warnings.
In the Hawkesbury-Nepean area of western Sydney, minor flooding is anticipated on Thursday.
Rising sea levels are anticipated in coastal catchments that include the Hunter, Hawkesbury, and Colo rivers as well as Wollombi Brook.
The wettest year on record in Sydney has officially ended.
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