As NSW stretches into its third week of intense wet weather, storms and flooding, Waverley and Randwick council areas have been experiencing hazardous surf conditions and a number of fallen trees.
Broadarrow Reserve near Maroubra Beach was hit hard on Tuesday night, as winds of up to 50 kilometres per hour brought down a number of trees, causing the area to be closed for clearing.
While the weather has eased on Wednesday, 58 millimetres and 67 millimetres of rainfall were recorded in Randwick and Little Bay respectively in the 24 hours to midday on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, rainfall caused flooding in Sydney’s northern beaches, with the Manly Dam overflowing and putting thousands of locals under evacuation orders.
The NSW Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has reported that, across Sydney, 872mm of rain has fallen since the start of the year – the wettest start to a year on record.
Conditions at Bronte Beach following the flooding. Photo: Louie Tsangarakis.
While the eastern suburbs have escaped relatively unscathed, catastrophic flooding in the NSW Northern Rivers region has given way to a burgeoning housing crisis in towns such as Lismore, where at least 2000 houses have been deemed uninhabitable due to flood damage.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared the NSW and Queensland floods a national emergency. Mr Morrison also defended the role that the Australian Defence Force has played in recovery efforts, which has been accused of acting too late.
Surf’s down
The BOM has also issued a hazardous surf warning for the Sydney, Hunter, Illawarra, Batemans and Eden coasts until at least midnight on Wednesday evening.
“I implore people to observe these weather warnings and always follow instructions from our lifeguards, including during beach closures,” Waverley Council’s Manager of Lifeguard Services, Matt du Plessis said.
“As a general precaution, swimming at ocean beaches should be avoided for up to one day after heavy rainfall or for as long as stormwater is present.”
All beaches in the Randwick area were closed on Tuesday after a surfer was “bumped” by a shark at Maroubra beach in the morning.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has warned that murky conditions and stormwater reduces visibility and washes nutrients from the land into the ocean, which can attract fish, including sharks.
