Winter storms bring heavy snow, black ice, flood risks and rain to NSW
Heavy snow is falling in the northern tablelands of New South Wales as rain batters others parts of the state.
On Saturday afternoon, the NSW SES had issued 28 warnings for residents across the Coffs Coast, Mid North Coast, Upper Hunter and New England regions. The SES warned 24-hour rainfall totals between 65mm and 100mm were likely, with isolated falls exceeding 130mm possible.
The assistant commissioner Nicole Hogan said heavy and persistent rain could result in some roads being flooded and becoming impassable.
“We’ve had crews in Tamworth doorknocking low-lying areas to alert locals of potential localised flash flooding and road closures overnight tonight,” Hogan said.
“We implore the community to never drive, walk or play in floodwater – if you come across a flooded road, turn around and find an alternative route.”
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
The heavy rainfall is causing rivers to rise, with moderate flooding along the Peel river at Tamworth and Namoi river at Gunnedah.
Unusual snow levels had been reported at Armidale and Guyra, and falls of up to 50cm are possible throughout Saturday.
Hogan said black ice was a significant risk and was causing dangerous road conditions throughout the northern tablelands.
“We have road crash crews prepositioned and ready to respond to any rescues, but we ask the community to please avoid unnecessary travel,” she said.
“If you do need to be on the roads in areas with snow, drive with caution, always use your brakes gently and drive slowly.”
after newsletter promotion
Damaging wind gusts exceeding 90km/h and large and powerful surf are also forecast.
More than 1,000 NSW SES volunteers have been deployed across the state. The SES has responded to 750 calls since the onset of the bad weather.
