State’s north on flood watch as heavy rain returns

State’s north on flood watch as heavy rain returns

Date February 20, 2013 – 5:59PM 166 reading now

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Saffron Howden

Rural and Indigenous Affairs Reporter

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Weatherzone: Sydney radar

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A flood watch is in place from the Queensland border to the Hunter Valley, amid forecasts of heavy rain along the sodden New South Wales north coast in coming days.

More than 300mm of rain is expected to fall in some areas over the next two days, the Bureau of Meteorology warned this afternoon.

The far north coast, already saturated from ex-tropical cyclone Oswald just weeks ago, is expected to be hit first, followed by the mid-north coast, before the rain continues south to the Hunter Valley.

The Sydney forecast is for showers on Thursday, increasing to rain by Friday afternoon, which should last until Saturday evening.

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“The heaviest rain is expected in the mid-north coast,” NSW Flood Warning Centre manager Gordon Mackay said.

“Further north, we might have a bit less rain, but the catchment’s sodden.”

Caused by a tropical low, the heavy rain is expected to generate moderate to major river flooding as well as localised flash flooding.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has already been called out to help two people stranded on the banks of a creek in the Nightcap National Park near Nimbin, a spokeswoman said.

Heavy rain had already started to fall in the state’s north, she said.

“What we’re preparing for is some very heavy rain to hit northern NSW tomorrow night,” she said.

“We’re looking at flash flooding, localised flooding.

“The catchments [are] already really saturated.”

The spokeswoman warned people to stay out of floodwater.

Late last month, ex-tropical cyclone Oswald dumped heavy rains from far north Queensland to the Hunter Valley in NSW, causing severe flooding in many areas within 200 kilometres of the coast.

Experts warned the flooding could have been worse if conditions had not been so dry beforehand.

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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/states-north-on-flood-watch-as-heavy-rain-returns-20130220-2erhg.html#ixzz2LQnnFYuf