Home

Clean-up continues after massive NSW storm

Heather McNab and Dominica SandaAAP
A massive clean-up effort is underway after NSW's coast was drenched over the weekend.
Camera IconA massive clean-up effort is underway after NSW's coast was drenched over the weekend.

Days of heavy rain have boosted Sydney dam levels and put out bushfires, while a massive clean-up effort is underway after NSW's coast was drenched over the weekend.

Sydney recorded its heaviest rain in three decades and was battered by gale-force winds, with emergency services on Tuesday left to clear fallen trees, remove debris and extract cars in floodwaters.

More than 15,000 calls for help were made to Fire and Rescue NSW over the weekend - more than three times the calls made during the peak of the bushfire season.

The State Emergency Service and other agencies have completed some 10,000 calls for help, with about 3000 still to be completed on Tuesday.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

SES deputy commissioner Daniel Austin said calls are still coming in.

"We'll work through those ... trying to get through (them), particularly open any roadways that might be closed and then do some damage assessment with floodwaters that have occurred potentially into people's properties," Mr Austin told ABC TV on Tuesday.

A man on Tuesday morning was rescued after clinging to a tree for almost 12 hours to escape floodwaters north of Bega.

Tens of thousands of NSW households are also without electricity due to fallen power lines.

Flood warnings have been issued for the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond, Windsor and Sackville, for the Nepean River at Wallacia and along the Colo River.

Warnings also in place for the Orara River at Coutts Crossing, the Tuggerah Lake at Long Jetty, the Paroo River at Willara Crossing and Wanaaring, the Wallis Lake at Tuncurry and St Georges Basin at Sussex Inlet.

Up to 550 millimetres of rain fell across parts of the northern rivers, mid-north coast, Central Coast, Sydney, Blue Mountains and the Illawarra over the weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology says severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall are possible across eastern NSW on Tuesday and Wednesday. Additional storms are possible on Thursday and over the next seven days.

Forecasters are keeping an eye on tropical Cyclone Uesi, a bureau spokeswoman told AAP.

According to Fiji's Meteorological Service, the cyclone is predicted to reach Category 3 level and track towards Australia's east coast from northwest of New Caledonia.

NSW Farmers says rainfall in the state's north has boosted soil moisture and is a "huge relief" for many livestock producers.

"The psychological boost that this rain has provided is vitally important," the organisation's president James Jackson said in a statement on Monday.

The Rural Fire Service says rainfall since Friday has helped firefighters put out more than 30 fires - some which had been burning for months.

"It's been great from a bushfire perspective," RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told ABC TV on Tuesday.

The agency is still monitoring 24 fires, four of which remain uncontained.

The BOM says it will take prolonged follow-up rainfall to break the drought.

But Sydney's parched dams have had a boost with Warragamba Dam at more than 60 per cent capacity after jumping from 43 per cent a week ago.

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails