June 8th 2024.
Last night, the Warragamba Dam began to lower as the heavy rain eased up, bringing some relief after a night of intense emergency flood warnings and rescues in Sydney and the surrounding areas. The State Emergency Service was kept busy with 297 incidents reported and 13 flood rescues performed. As a precaution, dozens of areas along the Hawkesbury River were issued with emergency evacuation orders, spanning from Agnes Banks to Lower Portland.
Jihad Dib, the Minister for Emergency Services, expressed gratitude to the over 2000 SES volunteers for their tireless efforts and also mentioned that the weather conditions were starting to improve. He reminded everyone of the importance of being prepared and urged them to listen to the warnings and advisories issued by the state emergency services.
However, Dib also expressed disappointment in the few individuals who chose to drive through flooded waters despite being warned not to. He stressed the dangers of such actions and the potential consequences it could have on not only themselves but also the rescue workers who have to risk their lives to save them.
On a positive note, Andrew George, the CEO of Water NSW, stated that the Warragamba Dam has started to recede from its peak spill rate of 240 gigalitres a day. He added that the spill rate is expected to return to normal levels in the next few days, bringing some relief to the affected areas. He also mentioned that while there are still inflows into the catchment, they are gradually decreasing.
According to George, the Warragamba area received 100mm of rain, while the Nepean catchment saw 140mm of rainfall. Deb Platz, the NSW SES Acting Commissioner, stated that even though the weather has improved, there is still a risk of flooding in some parts of the state. She warned that the riverine flooding in western Sydney is expected to continue throughout the day and advised people to stay informed about road closures and to avoid driving through flooded areas.
The SES has issued 44 warnings, including 12 emergency evacuation orders, primarily in the Hawkesbury and Nepean regions. For the latest updates, they urged people to check the SES HazardWatch warnings. The Hawkesbury, Nepean, Cooks, Woronora, Shoalhaven, and Hastings Rivers, as well as the St Georges Basin, are still under minor to major flood warnings.
Currently, the Hawkesbury at North Richmond is at moderate flood levels, but it is not expected to rise any further, and there will be no impact on the Windsor Bridge. However, due to flooding, Windsor Road remains closed in both directions between Pitt Town Road at McGraths Hill and Macquarie Street. The Pitt Town Road is also closed in various sections between Wolseley Road and Saunders Road. People can check for the latest traffic and road closure information on the provided link.
Some roads that were closed yesterday, such as the Richmond Bridge, Yarramundi Bridge, Audley Weir, and the Menangle Bridge, are still not accessible this morning. However, there is some good news as the Illawarra Highway has been reopened at Albion Park between the M1 Princess Highway and Tongarra Road.
In other good news, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has canceled the severe weather warning for the Illawarra and South Coast forecast districts, bringing some relief to millions of people. For the latest weather updates and warnings, people can check the BoM website.
As we head into the long weekend for the King's Birthday, the weather is expected to clear up, with Saturday being mostly cloudy with some showers along the coastal areas. Sunday and Monday are forecasted to be mostly sunny with temperatures around 19 and 20 degrees. However, there is a possibility of some rain returning on Tuesday. Keep up with the latest news, celebrity gossip, and sports updates by following us on our WhatsApp channel. Rest assured, your privacy is our priority, and no one can see your private details.
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