Not ANOTHER soaking! One month’s worth of rain to fall in Sydney in just 48 hours as motorists brace for hazardous driving conditions
- Parts of Sydney and Central Coast got more than month’s worth of rain in a day
- Northern beaches copped 84mm while Gosford was swamped with 110.8mm
- More rain for Sydney, Central Coast and the Hunter on Friday and Saturday
- Motorists have been urged to take care in the treacherous driving conditions
Some areas of Sydney copped more than a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours on Thursday – and the soaking isn’t over yet.
Another drenching has been forecast for Friday and Saturday with meteorologists warning of possible storm activity in the Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter regions.
Motorists were urged to take care in the hazardous driving conditions.
‘Widespread rainfall around northern Sydney, the Central Coast, and Newcastle overnight and this morning. Take care for your wet commute to work today!’ the NSW Bureau of Meteorology tweeted on Friday morning.
Sydneysiders will need their umbrellas on Friday and Saturday with more rain forecast
The treacherous conditions prompted a warning from the NSW State Emergency Service for motorists to take care.
‘The NSW east coast will get more rain this weekend than in the last two months,’ it posted.
‘Parts of Northern Sydney and the Central Coast are expected to see 100-120 mm tomorrow with snow possible in Lithgow and Oberon as well.’
In Sydney, Forestville on the northern beaches recorded the highest rainfall with 84mm in the 24 hours until 8am Friday, followed by Mosman (74mm).
The most rain was seen north of Sydney with Gosford swamped with 110.8mm, followed by Blacksmith and while Terrigal Reservoir received 95mm, well above the region’s average August rainfall of 73mm.
‘Nice day in the harbour! Love the rain in Sydney,’ former Test cricketer Damien Martyn tweeted on Thursday, along with this photo
The harbour city copped a soaking overnight with some areas getting more than 80mm
‘A coastal trough sitting off the Central Coast has resulted in the steady rainfall,’ Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Jordan Nortara told Daily Mail Australia.
‘There will be consistent rainfall for Sydney’s northern metropolitan areas, the Central Coast and Hunter on Friday before easing on Saturday.’
Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe added: ‘Sydney and the Hunter is where the focus still lies today — in particular the Central Coast where we’ve seen upwards 100mm from the (wet weather) event already.’
Sydney will receive between 20 and 60mm of rain on Friday and reach a top of 16C while the Central Coast will cop at least 30mm.
‘There’s a possibility storm activity may also occur in the regions,’ Mr Notora told Daily Mail Australia.
Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid north coast was blanketed in hail on Thursday night
The NSW coast as far north as Coffs Harbour felt the brunt of the wild weather.
Coffs Fish Coop posted video of a wild hailstorm on Thursday night with the ground blanketed in hail that looked like snow.
‘Just for the non believers… this is what Coffs Harbour Marina looked like at around 6pm,’ it posted on Instagram.
Sydney’s Observatory Hill received 43mm of rain in 24 hours up until 8am on Friday to take August’s rainfall tally to 50mm, well below the city’s monthly average of 80mm.
A wild hailstorm caused chaos in Coffs Harbour with hail that looked like snow
Parts of Sydney’s northern beaches copped more than a month’s worth of rain within 24 hours
Elsewhere across Australia, it will be raining in Brisbane, where it will reach a top of 23C on Friday.
Canberra woke up to a chilly morning which will warm up to a high of 14C while Melbourne will reach a top of 16C.
A cold front coming over the south-west of the country will bring rain and possible thunderstorms to Perth and a top of 19C.
Elsewhere, Adelaide is sunny with a top of 18C, Hobart is partly cloudy with a top of 15C, while in the Top End, Darwin is expected to reach 32.
‘Cheers for the crappy weather Sydney,’ one woman posted on Thursday
The rain will continue for Sydney, the Central Coast and Hunter regions on Friday