The intense weather system that had previously unleashed heavy rainfall and flooding across the Hunter and Mid North Coast has now reached Sydney, bringing significant overnight rainfall. The heaviest downpours were recorded in Sydney’s western suburbs, with Richmond experiencing 181mm in the 24 hours up to 9am Friday. Penrith and Hornsby each recorded 116mm, while Auburn saw 103mm, and North Parramatta had 112mm. Other notable totals included 100mm in Belrose, 92mm in Canterbury, and 88mm in Marrickville. Additionally, Darkes Forest, situated between Sydney and Wollongong, logged 156mm.
The earlier flooding in northern NSW resulted from the weather system remaining stationary, but it is now moving south, according to Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Anges Hines. Rain is expected to clear from the Hunter by midday and from Sydney by the afternoon, shifting toward the Illawarra and South Coast, where further showers are forecast into the evening. Conditions are predicted to improve across most of NSW by Saturday, with clearer skies.
Flooding has disrupted both road and rail infrastructure across Sydney and northern regions. Bus services have replaced trains on the Hunter Line due to flooding at Sandgate, while landslips have affected services between Kotara and Cardiff. Trains to Newcastle will face delays throughout Friday, and flooding at Mittagong is impacting routes to the south-west. Inner-city train lines have also been affected, with some stations skipped due to waterlogged tracks, including Lewisham. Several major roads, including Richmond Road, Cattai Road, and Wakehurst Parkway, have been cut by flooding.
Howard Collins of Transport for NSW advised residents to limit non-essential travel as conditions remain unpredictable, especially in the city’s west, south, and north. Meanwhile, the Vivid Festival will proceed as scheduled, with Artistic Director Gil Minervini affirming that the show will go on, weather permitting.
Emergency services remain on high alert. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) responded to 327 incidents within 24 hours, warning of potential flash flooding due to rainfall totals of 60–100mm expected in some areas. Assistant Commissioner Colin Malone urged the public not to drive through flooded roads, stressing how rapidly conditions can deteriorate.
Further south, areas including Bowral, Braidwood, Bega, Katoomba, and Goulburn are likely to see increased rainfall later Friday. In addition, strong and dangerous surf conditions are forecast along the coast.
While fears of a spill at Warragamba Dam have eased due to less-than-expected overnight rainfall, Water NSW continues to monitor inflows, with the dam currently at 96% capacity.
