A powerful coastal low, described by meteorologists as a “bomb cyclone”, has hammered New South Wales overnight, triggering widespread flooding, fierce winds, power outages and dangerous surf from the Hunter to the South Coast.
The intense weather system, which rapidly deepened off the coast on Tuesday, delivered torrential rain totals of up to 200 millimetres in some areas, downed trees, flooded roads and knocked out power to more than 30,000 homes and businesses. The State Emergency Service (SES) has responded to over 2,300 calls for help, with crews working through the night to rescue stranded residents and clear debris.
In Sydney, commuters faced major delays across the rail network after strong winds brought down trees and damaged overhead lines at Dora Creek and between St Marys and Penrith. Sydney Trains CEO Matt Longland warned that repairs would take time and “there will be delays across the network today”. The Blue Mountains Line was also affected, with reduced services running between Lithgow and Penrith after overnight repairs.
Sydney Airport reported more than a dozen domestic and international flights cancelled or delayed, urging passengers to check with airlines before heading to the terminal. A spokesperson said the airport was “working closely with airlines and Airservices Australia to manage the impact of these challenging conditions”.
Along the Central Coast, residents in low-lying areas of Wamberal and The Entrance were told to evacuate overnight due to dangerous coastal erosion. Pictures from the scene showed lawns and backyards sheared off, with properties teetering on collapsing sand dunes as huge waves slammed into the shore. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded swells exceeding six metres at multiple locations, including Batemans Bay, Port Kembla and Eden. A coastal hazard warning remains in force from Seal Rocks in the north down to the Victorian border, with officials warning the conditions could last into Thursday.
Flooding has been widespread. At Sanctuary Point near Jervis Bay, rivers burst their banks after a combination of heavy rain and rising tides. SES deputy incident commander Barry Griffiths said, “Sanctuary Point was a combination of the tide coming in and a lot of rainfall trying to get out at the same time — they blocked each other up and it burst the banks.” Around 200 homes were impacted by flooding at Burrill Lake on the South Coast, while evacuation orders or shelter-in-place warnings were issued through the night for areas on both the north and south sides of the lake.
Further north, the Bureau of Meteorology warned of rising rivers in Western Sydney, with minor to moderate flooding expected at Menangle and Camden on the Upper Nepean River. Penrith and North Richmond are also at risk of minor flooding by this afternoon, while the Hawkesbury remains under close watch.
Power companies worked through the night to restore electricity to thousands. Ausgrid said it had reconnected more than 25,000 customers across Sydney’s north, the Central Coast and Newcastle, but warned that as of early Wednesday morning, over 10,000 of its customers were still without power. Endeavour Energy reported close to 17,000 homes in the Blue Mountains, Western Sydney, Illawarra and the South Coast waking to darkness, while Essential Energy listed thousands more outages across regional parts of the state.
Emergency Services Minister Jodie Harrison urged people to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel, saying crews were working in hazardous conditions. “We are asking everyone to be cautious, don’t drive through floodwaters, and listen to SES advice,” she said.
Climate researchers said the intensity of the system, though not unprecedented, was consistent with projections that a warmer ocean would fuel more powerful coastal lows. Dr Nina Hampson from the University of Sydney told ABC News, “Coastal low systems have always been a feature of our climate, but their impacts are compounding because we have more people and more property in harm’s way.”
Despite the scale of the event, SES teams reported remarkable resilience in communities hit by flooding. “Neighbours were helping others as this community is so used to flooding,” Barry Griffiths said of Sanctuary Point. “Strangely, there weren’t that many calls for assistance — people just looked after each other.”
The system is expected to gradually weaken over the next 24 hours, but more rain and damaging winds are forecast along the coast into Thursday. As residents begin the clean-up, the full toll on homes and infrastructure may not be clear for days.
Anyone needing emergency help in storms or floods is urged to call the SES on 132 500. For life-threatening situations, call triple-0.
