Australia: PM to visit flood zones as thousands more put on evacuation alert

Watt said he hopes the rain in the Northern Rivers won’t result in flooding, with the area devastated by unprecedented floods twice already this year.

Wettest year on record as flood disaster continues

Meanwhile, Weatherzone said there have been 73 millimetres of rain in Sydney over the past 24 hours meaning it is the state’s wettest year on record.

“Not only is this Sydney’s wettest year-to-date on record by whopping 191 mm (above 1578.3 mm from 1890), this is also already the city’s 11th wettest year in records dating back to 1859,” Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said.

Across NSW there are 102 evacuation orders and a further 55 evacuation warnings in place, covering a total of about 50,000 people across the state.

PM to visit flood-affected areas tomorrow

The prime minister will visit flood-affected regions in NSW with the premier on Wednesday as many areas of the state remain under water.

Watt described the situation as “serious”, and said Anthony Albanese was providing “every possible support to the NSW government and NSW people”.

He added that while floodwaters in many areas have peaked, other regions remain at risk.

“There is more rain expected in the coming days in the Hunter region, and there is the risk of flooding,” he said.

“Later in the week, we’re expecting some rain in the Northern Rivers region.”

Watt said he hopes the rain in the Northern Rivers won’t result in flooding, with the area devastated by unprecedented floods twice already this year.

Meanwhile, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government’s message to those impacted by flooding is: “We will be there for you”.

He said the government is focused on the human and emotional costs of the floods, but admitted the economic costs will also be significant.

“We have seen the impact of food prices we expect to see, given we are talking about some really important food-producing parts of Australia,” he said.

“We know the combination of support for these communities will add up.”

Floodwaters recede in Windsor

Sydney’s north-west, including Windsor, has been one of the hardest-hit areas by floodwaters.

The water is now slowly receding however it is expected to stay at a major flood level until at least tomorrow afternoon.

Locals are hoping it doesn’t get any worse.

“I’m just upset that this has happened but the police have done a very good job,” one resident cried.

Flood rescues and landslides across NSW

Dozens of flood rescues have been carried out by emergency services over the past 24 hours.

Police officers dived into neck-height floodwaters to rescue a man trapped in a ute in rising floodwaters in South Windsor this morning.

Witnesses said if police hadn’t helped the man would have drowned.

Even a police car required assistance when it drove into water overnight before being inundated by water.

The heavy rainfall has also resulted in landslides across greater Sydney.

In the Blue Mountains, the ground gave way near train tracks in Blackheath meaning services have been cancelled between Katoomba and Mount Victoria.

“This may take weeks to repair, with the initial inspections showing the landslip is up to 40 metres long, 20 metres wide and 60 metres deep,” Transport for NSW said.

Crisis ‘far’ from over’

Earlier, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet warned the flood crisis is “far from over” as the government rolls out disaster relief for victims.

“This event is far from over, please don’t be complacent,” he said.