Central NSW Coast Now Gets Hammered

The rains ended in Brisbane. Strong mid-latitude storms like this one occur several times in a typical Sacramento, California winter, but they are rarer closer to the equator, and apparently fairly uncommon in Brisbane: I'm surprised to discover it was the wettest storm in Brisbane's dam catchment areas in nearly two years:

The Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams received their best falls since October 2005, but many more days of rain are needed before supplies begin increasing, SEQWater operations manager Rob Drury said.

``While last night's rainfall is welcomed, another 50 to 60mm is needed overnight to start significant inflows into the dams,'' Mr Drury said.

The storm's power is now being directed at the rain-impoverished central NSW coast. Lots of chaos today in Newcastle and Sydney makes for an ungrateful populace, though:

WHILE torrential rain has caused flight delays in Sydney and flash-flooding on the NSW Central Coast and in Sydney's south, it has failed to raise dam levels.

...The State Emergency Service (SES) has received 30 calls for assistance, mainly from people at Kincumber, near Woy Woy on the Central Coast, and at Canterbury in southern Sydney.

"We do expect to get more requests for assistance coming from the public," SES spokesman Phil Campbell said.

"But as this low pressure system develops off the coast, if that does result in some very strong winds, then that can bring down trees and can increase our call load significantly."

The storms began on the Central Coast and are moving through Sydney as they head south.

Areas of Sydney's north shore have recorded up to 70mm of rain since 9am (AEST) yesterday, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

The western and southwestern suburbs have received up to 50mm during the same period.

But little rain has fallen over the Warragamba catchment area, which supplies Sydney's water, although some is expected over the next two days.