A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for heavy rainfall in Sydney and parts of the NSW east coast, disrupting flights and public transport.
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms slammed into Sydney on Monday afternoon, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warning the storm was likely to produce heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding.
The warning covered Sydney City, Sydney Olympic Park, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and waters off Bondi Beach.
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“This thunderstorm is moving towards the northeast,” BOM warned.
“It is forecast to affect Manly, St Leonards and waters off Manly Beach by 3:40pm and Chatswood, Dee Why and waters off Dee Why Beach by 4:10 pm.”
NSW SES has confirmed 49 jobs since the storm outbreak Monday afternoon, four of which for flash flooding rescues, including a rescue taking place in Eastgardens for a car stuck in floodwaters just after 4pm.
An SES spokesperson said most of the call-outs have been for fallen trees and damaged or leaking roofs, mainly around the City, Inner West and Macarthur.
“The flood rescues have been described as minor, and flash flooding should recede fairly quickly,” the spokesperson said.
Sydney Airport confirmed there had been flight delays due to the storm outbreak.
“Due to storm activity, there have been some flight delays,“ a Sydney Airport spokesperson said.
“We encourage passengers to check with their airline regarding the status of their flight.”
Light Rail services have also been affected, with the L2 Randwick Line and L3 Kingsford Line light rail services not running between Moore Park, Randwick and Juniors Kingsford due to flooding affecting track equipment at Kensington.
“Replacement buses have been requested but are not yet running,” Transport Management Centre said.
“Passengers are advised to delay travel or consider catching regular bus services instead.”
L2 and L3 light rail services are still running between Circular Quay and Moore Park.
Passengers are advised to check information displays at stops for service updates.
Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are also expected to impact parts of the east coast, including parts of the Hunter, Illawarra, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands and South West Slopes Forecast Districts over the next several hours.
The State Emergency Service advises that people should keep clear of creeks and storm drains, not to walk, ride your bike or drive through flood water and if you are trapped by flash flooding, seek refuge in the highest available place and ring 000 if you need rescue.
The next update is due to be issued by 6.10pm.
More to come…