STORM WATCH Thousands of western Sydney and south-east Queensland residents could be evacuated due to extreme weather, with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting that at least 1000 residents from western Penrith, Jamisontown, and Mulgoa have already received evacuation orders. The Bureau of Meteorology warns that a strong high pressure system across NSW’s north-east and a low pressure trough in the west will both continue tonight, while flooding across parts of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley — specifically near Penrith — has already exceeded the November 1961 floods. The ABC also notes an emergency alert has been issued for parts of the Gold Coast facing flash flooding. The NSW Education Department has closed about 137 schools today, Newcastle Airport has suspended flights, and Gladys Berejiklian has warned of the “one-in-50-year” weather event’s impact on the Warragamba Dam, which will see 75% of its storage capacity flow into the catchment. Berejiklian says dam levels will have to be reduced to around 20-25% to account for upcoming rainfall, while The Sydney Morning Herald reports that NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott has blamed his cabinet colleague, Water Minister Melinda Pavey, for not releasing more water ahead of the storm. For the latest updates, see BOM’s national weather warnings, ABC Emergency’s postcode/suburb guide, or NSW State Emergency Service’s interactive Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley map. |