The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a new severe weather warning for NSW as parts of the state continue to reel from damaging floods.
Damaging winds are expected to hit a 500km stretch of NSW coastline from Tuesday night and not ease below warning thresholds until late Wednesday afternoon.
Gusts of about 100km/h are forecast between Wooli, in the state’s north, and Wattamolla, south of Sydney.
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“Locations which may be affected include Sydney coast, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Woolgoolga, Sawtell and The Entrance,” the Bureau said.
People are advised to “move vehicles under cover or away from trees, secure or put away loose items around houses, yards and balconies and keep at least 8m away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences”.
A damaging surf warning has also been issued for Newcastle, Sydney, Seal Rocks, Nelson Bay and The Entrance on Wednesday.
“Beach conditions in these areas could be dangerous and people should stay well away from the surf and surf exposed areas,” the Bureau said.
“Very heavy surf (conditions) may lead to localised damage and coastal erosion, particularly with elevated tides in the morning.”
This latest weather warning comes just days after damaging rain and flooding smashed the state, with the clean-up continuing on damaged and isolated homes and infrastructure across Sydney’s northwest and the Illawarra.
Councils along the flood-affected Hawkesbury have reignited calls for the wall on Warragamba Dam to be raised — a plan promised by the former coalition government but abandoned under the current Labor administration.
Sydney’s largest reservoir has spilled a total volume of water equivalent to half of Sydney Harbour since it reached 100 per cent capacity on Saturday, according to Water NSW.
Premier Chris Minns said rebuilding the dam wall would take eight to 10 years, come at an enormous cost and would not stop flash-flooding in western and northwestern Sydney.
“Forty-five per cent of floodwaters in the Hawkesbury, Richmond catchment don’t come over the top of Warragamba Dam, so we could be in a situation where we raise Warragamba, we spend $2 billion and those communities are still inundated by flooding,” he said on Tuesday.
But Minns said the government would look at all potential changes, including dropping the maximum allowable water level at Warragamba, as long as Sydney’s drinking water supply could be supplemented.
“So that’s not going to give us an immediate relief, it’s going to take a bit of time,” he said.
The premier reiterated the government’s commitment to spend $200 million on improving evacuation infrastructure, emergency levees and road evacuation routes.
Hawkesbury mayor Sarah McMahon said more needed to be done to ensure her community was not left devastated by more flooding.
“Nobody has seen a ‘plan’ and won’t see a ‘plan’ for at least another year, and who knows how many more floods will have hit us before we have this ‘plan’,” she said on Monday.
Disaster assistance has been made available for affected residents and councils across the state.
About 800 residents have returned to their homes northwest of Sydney and along the Hawkesbury River after evacuation orders were lifted, although the NSW State Emergency Service is advising people to avoid the area.
Flood levels at the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers were significantly reduced by Tuesday morning.
The Hawkesbury River reached its peak of 10.52m — about 7m above average — at 9pm on Saturday.
More water is also expected to be discharged from Warragamba Dam over the coming days.
Parts of the South Coast rail line remain out of operation, with significant damage to tracks.
Bulldozers are also set to cut a temporary evacuation road in the Blue Mountains’ Megalong Valley after a land slip shut off the only access road, isolating 150 residents and 200 tourists.
Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill said cutting the road through rock would take three days and would be contingent on careful geotechnical advice, which was set to be issued on Tuesday.
Food, fuel and essential supplies are being dropped into the valley via helicopter, while all visitors to the area have been successfully evacuated.