Australia Weather News
Flooding in Port Macquarie. (ABC News: Emma Siossian)
Authorities are urging residents "not to be complacent" as record-breaking flooding continues to impact New South Wales.
Three people have been confirmed dead following the recovery of a woman's body from her car on Thursday.
The woman, aged 60, had been warned about driving through floodwater after initially travelling in convoy with a police officer on Wednesday night near Dorrigo.
The driver continued solo towards Coffs Harbour for 17 kilometres, where her car reportedly became trapped in floodwater and she called authorities for help.
Police searched the area that evening but were unable to find her.
They recovered her body from her 4WD on Thursday afternoon, calling it a "tragic circumstance".
It comes after anotherbody was found in floodwater at Rosewood, near Wauchope, earlier on Thursday.
It was believed to be the body of a 34-year-old man, who reportedly became stuck in floodwater while driving the night before.
David Knowles, 63, was also found dead on the verandah of his North Moto Road home, north-east of Taree, on Wednesday afternoon.
Person still missing
Meanwhile, at Nymboida, south of Grafton, a 49-year-old man has been missing since Wednesday evening after he failed to return home from reportedly walking near a flooded roadway.
NSW State Emergency Service (SES) spokesperson Andrew Edmunds warned communities to remain on high alert on Friday and into the weekend.
"We're seeing a real risk of renewed flooding across the next day or two," he said.
"Even if it appears to be a sunny day or a decent break in the rain, there's still a huge amount of water to work its way through these catchments and out to sea."
In a press conference last night, NSW Police Northern Region Commander David Waddell said authorities had conducted about 600 flood rescues across the rain event.
"There have been fast flowing waters and some of those [rescues] have been done by helos [helicopters]," he said.
"Some significant rescues have been made but unfortunately we have lost a number of lives."
Forty emergency warnings are still in place across the region, with 25 of those under evacuation orders.
More than 100 NSW public schools are currently not operating.
PM plans to visit region
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid respects to the flood victims and said he was making plans to visit the affected region.
"Our hearts go out to the friends and family and the community," he told ABC Radio Sydney on Wednesday afternoon.
"We'll put those arrangements in place [to visit] and certainly it is a terrible situation and it's always a balance — you don't want to get in the way of rescues, as well."
Police have urged the public to adhere to all safety messaging, avoid non-essential travel and not to travel onto flooded roadways.
Evacuation centres are operating in the following locations:
Weather tracking south
Parts of the Mid North Coast have experienced the wettest May on record.
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) hazards manager Steve Bernasconi said Taree experienced the highest flood in more than 90 years.
"This has been the highest flood on record since 1929 at 6 metres [in Taree]," Mr Bernasconi said.
"I suspect there might not be someone with actual living memory of that particular flooding."
The BOM issued a moderate flood warning for the Colo River on Thursday night.
It also listed minor flood warnings for the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers for Putty Road, Menangle Bridge and North Richmond.
It is forecast that the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond may reach 3.8m from early Friday morning.
The trough system that has been bringing heavy rain to the region all week deepened into a low pressure system on Thursday and is expected to travel south down the coast on Friday.
Heavy rain could impact the Lower Hunter, the Blue Mountains and the northern part of the Southern Highlands into Friday morning.
ABC