A significant 2 day rain event has impacted an area of the New South Wales coastline from Newcastle to the north to the South Coast to the south.
This has become the first major rain event to impact the coastline of New South Wales for 2026.
Heavy rainfall initially impacted the South Coast within proximity of Batemans Bay and Moruya where several localities received 100 to 150 mm. The following rainfall amounts to 9 am Saturday morning were observed:
- Moruya (Plumwood) - 145 mm.
- Mangarlowe - 136.2 mm.
- Bodalla Post Office - 136 mm.
- Porters Creek Dam - 114 mm.
There are other lesser totals of 80 to 99 mm falling in proximity of Moruya including 91.6 mm at Eurobodalla and 84 mm at Barlows Bay.
There are also isolated totals to 80 to 90 mm falling within the hills west of Wollongong such as Robertson (The Pie Shop) being 91.8 mm and Burrawong 89 mm.
During Saturday afternoon strong winds and heavier rainfall moved closer to Sydney. It is known that a fatality occurred on the Illawarra at Macquarie Pass when a motor vehicle was struck by a tree that fell resulting in the closure of the road for a period.
Late Saturday and overnight into Sunday morning, heavy rainfall impacted the Central Coast and most of Sydney where some rainfall totals exceeded 250 mm. The heaviest totals are:
- Great Mackeral Beach (Central Coast) - 264 mm.
- Wattamolla (South of Sydney) - 260 mm.
- Pearl Beach Reservoir (Central Coast) - 250 mm.
- Woy Woy (Central Coast / Gosford) - 241 mm.
Other lesser totals include:
- Avalon - 193.5 mm.
- Mona Vale - 168.5 mm.
- Terrey Hills - 179.6 mm.
- Darkes Forest - 179 mm.
- Medlow Bath 156 mm.
- Camden Airport 140.2 mm.
These are sizeable totals. Interestingly, many suburbs within the Cumberland Plain of Sydney received 45.5 mm to 100 mm while 100 mm totals occurred to the north, south, east and west.
Even Penrith (Penrith Lakes) received 105 mm which is rare for such a locality.
Such high rainfall totals has contributed to flooding of low lying areas and roads including but not limited to:
- Wakehurst Parkway at Narrabeen.
- Grange Avenue Scholfields.
- Botany Road at Zetland.
- Cambridge Road at Glenfield.
- Anthony Road at Leppington.
There is also flooding across low lying areas of the New South Wales Centre coast such as along Wyong Creek.
Conditions appear to have eased after 9 am with the rain breaking to scattered showers.