Heavy Rainfall and High Tides to impact the South Coast from Monday afternoon onwards
04/12/2017 05:25 PM
A trough is deepening near the NSW coast, and is expected to bring periods of heavy rain to the southern NSW coast today and into Tuesday.
A Severe Weather warning is currently in place for the South Coast, where heavy rainfall and abnormally high tides are forecast to impact coastal areas between Nowra and Narooma. Rain totals within a 24 hour period may be in excess of 100mm, with the bulk of this rain forecast to fall during Monday night and into Tuesday morning.
Water levels could reach or exceed the highest tide of the year during high tide tonight between 9 and 10pm, and on Tuesday morning between 9 and 10 am.
A Flood Watch has been issued for the South Coast, due to the forecast rainfall and high tides which have the potential to cause localised flooding from Monday afternoon onwards. Catchments likely to be affected include:
• St Georges Basin (Local Flooding)
• Clyde River (Local Flooding)
• Moruya and Deua Rivers (Local Flooding)
• Bega River (Local Flooding)
• Tuross River (Local Flooding)
• Towamba River (Local Flooding)
NSW SES are asking people in these areas to ensure they are prepared for impacts from this weather, particularly as the heavier falls will occur overnight. For those in low lying areas impacted by high tides, be aware that these abnormally high tides may exceed the highest tides of the year.
Emergency Alert text messages have been sent out this afternoon to residents in those areas that may be impacted. This has been done to ensure that residents are aware of the forecast conditions and can get ready for potential impacts. These messages may be received by some people living outside the Flood Watch area, which may be due to their mobile phone number being linked to an address located in one of the areas, or they may have travelled through one of the alert areas.
A Hazardous Surf Warning is in place for the Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast Surf where swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming.
In the Riverina, the flooding situation is easing as rivers peak and continue to drop. NSW SES would like to thank partner agencies for their assistance and applaud the communities for their proactive approach to preparation.
