Australia Weather News

Rain across large parts of New South Wales has not been as heavy as predicted, but residents are being warned flash flooding remains a risk.

Sydney, the NSW Mid North Coast, Northern Tablelands and Hunter regions have been hit by wet weather.

The State Emergency Service (SES) said it had carried out six flood rescues and been called to 400 incidents across the state on Thursday.

Bureau of Meteorology manager of hazard preparedness Steve Bernasconi said while the rainfall totals so far had not reached higher forecast levels, the flood threat remained.

"Whilst the catchments are wet and whilst there is still rain in the system, we have the potential for minor to major flooding and it's not taking a lot to move those rivers into those sort of categories," he said.

Children at Kempsey Adventist School on the Mid North Coast were evacuated this afternoon as rising waters from a neighbouring lagoon threatened to cut off an access road.

Six public schools across the New England and Hunter regions were also closed, along with Carinya Christian School in Tamworth.

Flood rescues

The SES rescued a man from a van trapped in floodwater near Douglas Park, south-west of Sydney, on Thursday.

The driver, who was the only person in the vehicle, was safely removed from the van on Moreton Park Road about 6am.

Three people were rescued from a car that had entered the McDonald River at St Albans around 11pm on Wednesday.

SES spokesperson Andrew McCullough said there had been other flood rescues at St Albans, north-west of Sydney, Albion Park on the South Coast and Ourimbah on the Central Coast.

"The type of jobs we really don't want to get because we're seeing people put themselves into danger," he said.

"We ask that people don't drive into floodwater and take extra care planning their journeys." 

The heaviest falls in the 24 hours to 9am were on the Mid North Coast.

Several places recorded more than 100 millimetres, including Port Macquarie Airport (141mm), Lake Cathie (146mm), Green Valley (132mm) and Telegraph Point (104mm).

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecaster Christie Johnson said the weather system was the result of three weather systems combining.

She said riverine flooding remained a concern.

"It's just been accumulating and accumulating across yesterday and going to continue today.

"Basically all the rivers through the Mid North Coast are covered by a flood watch at the moment, the catchments are quite wet so they will respond to this rainfall pretty quickly."

SES Mid North Coast deputy zone commander Tony Day said residents in the area should draw on the experience of recent floods.

"We've been through this with a great degree of regularity over the past few months, so people know if they're travelling in those low-lying areas ... to be very cautious."

In Sydney, the Parramatta River has risen by 1.2 metres this week after 71mm of rain.

The falls pushed the region's total above its average August rainfall in 72 hours.

Parramatta has received 198mm this month, making it the wettest August in 27 years.

Major flood warning

In the state's north, a major flood warning has been issued for the Namoi River, with major flooding possible around Gunnedah on Friday afternoon.

More than 27mm of rain was recorded at the Gunnedah Resource Centre in the 24 hours to 9am Thursday.

A moderate flood warning is in effect for the Peel River, with moderate flooding possible at Tamworth (48mm) overnight and into Friday morning.

SES Acting North Western Zone Commander Stuart Fisher said emergency service crews and the general community were doing their best to prepare.

"Given that the community has dealt with this 10 days ago, there is some fatigue," he said.

"The catchments are very wet and unfortunately the Bureau [of Meteorology] has indicated above average rainfall going through to Christmas.

"So I would think that this won't be our last rodeo."  

$50m support package

Meanwhile, the NSW and Commonwealth governments have announced a joint $50 million Housing Support Package for people affected by the recent severe flooding on the Mid North Coast and in the Hunter.

For the first time, support will be offered to help renters facing financial hardship find somewhere else to live.

Caravans and self-contained pod homes will also be available for eligible residents and primary producers whose homes were uninsured and uninhabitable, allowing them to stay on their property during repairs.

Hunter and Mid North Coast recovery coordinator Dave Owens said the package would make it easier for people to stay in their community after a disaster.  

"We're trying to keep people connected to their family and supports around where they are," he said.

"What we've learned from other areas is, if this isn't offered, people often basically pick up and move and we don't want the relocation."