More dangerous storms are forecast across parts of NSW on Friday, a day after intense rain in Sydney and Wollongong sparked flash flooding and landslides.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued fresh storm alerts on Friday afternoon, warning of possible severe storms in Sydney, and for the Hunter Valley, Blue Mountains, Illawarra and south coast.
It said heavy rain and flash flooding were the main concerns, with dangerous winds and hail also possible.
Friday’s warning came as the clean-up effort continued after Thursday’s wild weather in Sydney and Wollongong sparked flash flooding and landslides.
Severe thunderstorms passed over NSW on Thursday, dumping up to 95 millimetres of rain in an hour, leading to 65 flood rescues.
Videos posted to the Illawarra Weather Warnings Facebook page showed cars submerged as floodwaters engulfed streets and rain fell so hard that slopes turned into mini waterfalls.
Kanahooka High School and Para Meadows School were closed on Friday after they were among 21 schools in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven district impacted by the storms.
Efforts to clear debris from the Sea Cliff Bridge north of Wollongong continued after landslides blocked the famed road.
Damage from flash flooding extended through Sydney to the Hunter with the NSW State Emergency Service fielding 1337 calls for help, including 437 in the capital city.
Some 65 people needed to be rescued, including from vehicles and buildings, the SES said.
A storm over Dubbo also led to more than 200 incidents, including several flood rescues.
“Yesterday was a very busy time for the NSW SES and our partner agencies. We’re asking people to check conditions before travelling,” NSW SES State Duty Commander Colin Malone said on Friday.
“If you come across a flooded road, please do not take the risk. Find an alternative route.”
Edmund Rice College in Wollongong was evacuated after flooding and Towradgi Public School contacted parents about midday to ask them to collect children early because of the storm.
On social media, residents posted images of floating cars caught in floodwaters metres away from a beach while others posted pictures of landslides and cracked roads.
Bellambi in Wollongong had 96 millimetres of rainfall in an hour before midday Thursday, while further south Shellharbour Airport got 73 millimetres.
In Sydney, Canterbury received 18 millimetres in 23 minutes while Little Bay collected 63 millimetres across the afternoon.
Norfolk Island on cyclone watch
Elsewhere, generators were being checked and back-up communications were in place as the far-flung Australian territory of Norfolk Island prepared for the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The island’s 2000 residents took advantage of calm conditions on Friday morning ahead of predicted gale-force winds with gusts of 140km/h.
“Everybody is hard at it at the moment,” emergency controller George Plant said.
“In times like this the community just gets together and does what’s required.”
He urged residents to prepare, saying the cyclone was “probably the worst one we’ve seen for a long time”.
From the information provided by the Bureau of Meteorology, Mr Plant said Gabrielle could cause some of the most severe weather the island residents had experienced.
The category three tropical cyclone was tracking towards the island on Friday, about 1440 kilometres east of Brisbane. It could weaken into a category two storm before it passes.
It was about 1300 kilometres north-west of Norfolk Island on Friday morning.
“The centre of the cyclone is likely to pass very close to Norfolk Island overnight Saturday night at category two intensity, and then move away during Sunday,” the BOM said in its advice to island residents.
‘Destructive winds with gusts to 140km/h are possible from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning, although lighter winds are expected as the centre passes by.
“As the cyclone centre passes, destructive winds may ease for a short period of time, due to the eye of the system, before it suddenly picks up again, blowing from the opposite direction.”
An emergency evacuation centre will be available on Saturday morning, and some rain was expected on Friday afternoon before winds pick up.
Seas are expected to be between five and sever metres, with peak waves possibly even higher.
“No one wants to go out in those sorts of seas,” Mr Plant said.
Gabrielle is not directly affecting the Queensland coast, meteorologists said, but exposed eastern coastal areas could experience large waves and fresh to strong winds on Friday.
New Zealand’s Met Service expects the cyclone to weaken to a tropical low before it reaches New Zealand’s North Island. Northland and Auckland locals have been warned severe gales and rainfall totals of up to 300 millimetres are possible between Sunday and Tuesday.
-with AAP
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