Image: NSW SES crew conduct a flood rescue on Anzac Parade in Kensington on Sunday evening. NSW SES City of Sydney
by GRACE JOHNSON
Flash floods prompted more than 25 rescues and calls for help on Christmas Eve, most of which occurred in Metropolitan Sydney and Illawarra areas.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) responded to a total of 492 incidents.
Almost 600 SES volunteers responded to calls for assistance late on Christmas Eve, most of which involved rescuing vehicles trapped in flood water.
SES volunteers then spent Christmas morning continuing to help with clean-up efforts after significant storms ravaged parts of the northern rivers, metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra, south coast and Riverina.
Heavy rain also set in at Sydney airport on Sunday, with more than 64 millimetres of rain accumulating within two hours, delaying departures by an average of an hour.
Elsewhere, Little Bay in the city’s east recorded 56mm of rain in just one hour.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines said the wet weather would continue for days, including the threat of more severe thunderstorms.
“The potential is there, in the atmosphere, that we will see … some very large hail, some heavy to intense rainfall, and we could see some damaging wind gusts associated with these big storms as well,” he said.
“There’s a chance of thunder or maybe even severe storms for Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
“All of those capitals [are] seeing a risk of thundery weather on Christmas Day.”
“Even though it is a time for people to relax and celebrate, it is still worth keeping half an eye on the weather forecast, and in particular, the severe thunderstorm warnings,” Hines said. “Especially as we get into the warmer hours of the day.”
“We often see those storms really pick up through the afternoon, and last into the evening,” he said. “So even if the day starts off relatively clear and warm, there is a chance that it could take a dramatic shift.”
People are urged to take extra care on Christmas Day.
