Category Archives: New South Wales

Severe weather warning extended to cover much of eastern NSW, with heavy rain and flash flooding forecast

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A second east coast low is expected to form overnight, bringing heavy rain and damaging winds

A second east coast low off New South Wales is forecast to form overnight into Tuesday, bringing heavy rain but also stirring stronger winds than a similar system last week.

The Bureau of Meteorology has expanded its warning zone for heavy falls and damaging winds to cover an area from Coffs Harbour almost all the way south to the Victorian border.

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NSW flood cleanup continues as south-east Queensland again lashed by thunderstorms

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Severe rainfall that may lead to flash flooding ‘likely’ in Queensland, while Hawkesbury-Nepean river in NSW set to surpass last week’s flood level

South-east Queensland has again been lashed with rainfall and thunderstorms, while areas around Sydney and Newcastle faced the renewed risk of flooding as the cleanup continued.

Destructive winds and giant hail were possible as a “very dangerous storm” near Beaudesert in Queensland moved east on Sunday afternoon. Severe thunderstorms were also detected near Boonah, north-west of Noosa Heads, with severe rainfall that may lead to flash flooding “likely”.

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‘Next level destruction’: NSW residents detail the moments floods devastated their homes

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Residents of townships around Lismore and Mullumbimby recall destructive landslides, rising flood waters and raging torrents

The towns of the New South Wales northern rivers are used to floods – they are part of the region’s history and a product of its geography. But this time was different. The speed at which flood waters rose, the sheer volume of water and the scale of the damage caught many by surprise.

Politicians are calling these floods a once-in-a-100, or even a once-in-a-1,000-year event, but in reality these catastrophic weather events are becoming more intense and more frequent.

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Australia news live updates: Qld and NSW flood death toll rises; WA Covid cases expected to surge; Japanese encephalitis cases suspected

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Queensland announces financial support of $558.5m for flood-affected communities as NSW insurance claims estimated to have hit $1bn. Follow live

There are 28 people in intensive care in Victoria at the moment, with eight on ventilators. There have been 5,721 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours.

There are 45 people in intensive care due to Covid in NSW. There were 10,017 new Covid cases recorded yesterday.

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Japanese encephalitis virus declared ‘nationally significant’ as NSW woman in intensive care

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Virus spreads through mosquito bites and people in regional areas who are in contact with pigs may be at particular risk

Australia’s chief medical officer has beefed up the nation’s response to the Japanese encephalitis virus as New South Wales reports its first case.

NSW Health confirmed on Friday night a woman from the NSW-Victoria border region was in intensive care in a stable condition with the virus, marking the state’s first case after outbreaks in Queensland and Victoria.

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‘Heartbreaking’: Australia’s east coast reels from worst floods in living memory

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Queensland and NSW bear the brunt of catastrophic weather conditions that have claimed 16 lives

When Jenni Metcalfe returned to her Brisbane home to survey the damage as the nearby river peaked, water had already risen a metre up the back wall. There was nothing she could do. “I sat in the gutter and watched it and cried,” she said.

The east coast of Australia has been battered by more than a week of torrential rain, as communities begin to survey the wreckage of fatal flash flooding that has left townships looking like war zones.

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Australia news updates live: fresh flood warnings for NSW as more rain due, Qld schools stay shut

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Hundreds of thousands of NSW residents are still under evacuation warnings or orders as Hawkesbury-Nepean region remains a major concern; Victoria records 26 Covid deaths, NSW records two. Follow all the day’s news

Resilience NSW commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has told ABC radio that flooding across the state was worst than predicted:

Unprecedented levels [of flooding] experienced up in northern NSW, flood levels that came in well above what was forecasted … And at the same time we’ve still got serious flooding concerns in Hawkesbury and Nepean ...

We’ve also formed up a significant taskforce, comprising of firefighters … the Australian defence force. So working shoulder to shoulder with business owners, with property owners, homeowners ...

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Fears for Indigenous community of NSW island as anger rises about government’s flood response

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Cabbage Tree Island school principal worried students won’t be able to return for months after

An Indigenous community from Cabbage Tree Island in the New South Wales northern rivers region fears they have lost everything in the floods.

Residents from all 23 households were forced to flee as water inundated the island, which is off Ballina and has been an Indigenous reserve since 1893.

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NSW floods: Sydney and Illawarra dodge east coast low after 500,000 people faced evacuation across state

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Newcastle and Hunter region now in firing line and subject to severe weather warnings as clean-up begins further north

Sydney and the Illawarra region of New South Wales have avoided the worst effects of the devastating east coast low that instead eased and shifted west over Newcastle and the Hunter region.

Newcastle remains under a severe weather warning with falls of 60 to 100mm possible over six hours and the associated risk of flash flooding.

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Australia news live update: fourth NSW flood death confirmed; Ballina mayor calls for help; more ‘high impact’ storms forecast for Queensland

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Fourth NSW flood death confirmed; residents in parts of north-west Sydney told to prepare to evacuate their homes; Ballina mayor calls for ‘desperate help’; Queensland premier warns ‘high-impact’ storms could lead to more flash flooding; Warragamba Dam spills; drivers still stranded on M1; at least 59 Covid-related deaths recorded. Follow all the day’s news

My colleagues Josh Butler and Sarah Martin have an interesting story this morning on how the Australian anti-vaxxer groups are pivoting to pro-Putin messaging and Ukraine conspiracy theories.

Here’s a bit more on the second death in Lismore, via AAP.

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East coast low menaces Sydney and vast stretch of NSW coast with ‘life-threatening’ flash flooding forecast

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Severe weather warning issued for damaging winds and rain for region stretching from near Newcastle to almost the Victorian border

The “rain bomb” that soaked Brisbane and triggered record floods in northern New South Wales will develop into an east coast low and dump as much as 150mm of rain on Sydney with “life-threatening” risks on Wednesday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has pared back its earlier forecast for the daily rain total from as much as 150mm to 200mm to 100mm to 150mm, but reissued its severe weather warning for damaging winds and torrential rainfall for a coastal region stretching from near Newcastle down to almost the Victorian border.

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Ballina flood: residents of NSW coastal town face tense night as flood peak expected to coincide with high tide

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Flood waters from the Richmond River catchment are expected to reach Ballina on Tuesday night

Residents of the north coast town of Ballina are preparing for a tense night as floodwaters from two saturated catchments converge on the town, following a week of heavy rainfall that has caused devastating flooding and cost nine lives across southeast Queensland and Northern NSW.

The State Emergency Service issued an evacuation order for the town centre on Tuesday afternoon, directing people there to leave by no later than 7pm.

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Floods in Queensland and NSW: what we know about areas affected, and what’s likely to happen next

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Eight people have died, more are missing and hundreds have been rescued as flooding hits Brisbane, Lismore, Murwillumbah and Grafton

A major flood event has impacted communities from Maryborough in Queensland to Grafton in New South Wales, with Brisbane’s CBD inundated and a record-breaking flood in Lismore.

Here’s a summary of events so far, and what is forecast to come:

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Australia news live update: Lismore flood level breaks 1954 record as Perrottet warns worse to come in NSW; Queensland death toll rises to eight

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NSW premier says ‘unprecedented’ floods expected to get worse; Lismore residents call for help on social media as flood level hits record high; Australia lists Russia as ‘do not travel’ zone; Frydenberg discusses financial support for Ukraine ahead of Scott Morrison’s call with president; at least 12 Covid-related deaths recorded. Follow the latest updates live

Josh Frydenberg was asked if he believed the Russian president Vladimir Putin could turn the invasion into Ukraine nuclear.

He says it’s no secret that Putin may have ambitions beyond simply controlling Ukraine.

No one wants to see an escalation ... but these are the dangers of the times and the insanity of what Putin has done ... I’m worried there could be an escalation beyond the borders ...

I’m worried that there could be an escalation beyond the borders and no doubt. That’s what other European nations or neighbouring countries are concerned about ...

Just to get a sense of when will we find out the amount of money we’re committing to this issue ... we’re working the details through you will find out probably today.

I mean, we’re going to start with an initial payment. It will be in the millions, and it’s not going to be the same sort of quantum that United States or the United Kingdom would provide but you know, where we can ...

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Brisbane flood: warning up to 15,000 properties could be inundated as river reaches peak

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Eight people have died and three are still missing after heavy rain battered south-east Queensland

Queensland authorities estimate up to 15,000 properties could be affected by flood waters as the Brisbane River reached its likely peak on Monday morning, inundating low-lying areas in the city’s central business district.

Heavy rain lasting more than three days unabated in Brisbane eased at midnight on Monday, removing some of the strain that had choked suburban floodways and dumped unprecedented volumes into dams.

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Flood waters surge across Brisbane and south-east Queensland as ‘rain bomb’ threatens lives

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Heavy rainfall expected to continue overnight, with northern New South Wales next in the line of fire

Flood waters continued to rise across Brisbane, south-east Queensland and other parts of the state on Sunday night as a “rain bomb” dumped significant volumes of water into the city and put more than 1,000 homes at risk.

In some parts of Brisbane, flooding and damage has already been more severe than the 2011 floods, which killed 33 people and caused widespread damage.

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Mulletfest 2022: Australians let their hair down for the mane event

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The annual festival that celebrates a hairstyle that’s all business at the front and party at the back returned to Kurri Kurri over the weekend. Contestants of all ages flocked to the New South Wales town for the chance to show off their quintessential Aussie hairstyles and compete for the best ’do in categories including ‘grubby’, ‘ranga’, ‘vintage’ and ‘extreme’

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Australia live news updates: Victoria records 15 Covid deaths, NSW 11 and Qld eight; flood fatalities as Queensland battered by rain

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Man found dead in Stones Corner and SES volunteer dies responding to call for assistance north-west of Ipswich

Leach says people are ignoring warnings to not drive through floodwaters.

Unfortunately, not. We keep saying,” If it’s flooded forget it.” Please don’t drive through. You don’t know how deep it is, how swift it is, you don’t know what’s underneath those waters.

We’ve had over 80 rescues of people. Our message is really clear: Please don’t drive through floodwaters. Back it up, find an alternate route.

For us it is anywhere south of Hervey Bay through to the Gold Coast and west to Toowoomba, south of South East Queensland is completely saturated and there is no signs of this system letting up any time soon.

We’ve just responded in the last hour to Noosa- we put out an emergency alert - a very big thunderstorm (is passing) over the Noosa area and we are now responding to requests for assistance up there. But we are still busy in the Lockyer Valley, Ipswich, northern Brisbane suburbs but it could happen anywhere.

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Life-threatening floods forecast for Queensland as Sydney records wettest summer in 30 years

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Some areas of northern NSW and south-east Queensland could receive 300mm amid more wild weather in coming days

Sydney has experienced its wettest summer in three decades and the most humid season in 10 years, with more torrential rain forecast for the New South Wales north coast and south-east Queensland over the coming days.

The heavy rain and flooding has already led to three deaths – two in Queensland and one in NSW.

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John Barilaro takes executive director role with Sydney property developer

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The former NSW deputy premier advised parliament’s ethics office he may engage with government in his Coronation Property role

Former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro has started working with Sydney property developer Coronation Property, just weeks after leaving parliament.

The company, which said it had $1.4bn worth of projects under way, and a further $5bn in the pipeline, will employ Barilaro as its executive director.

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