Better news came for state's dams - with previously parched Warragamba Dam reaching highest level in years

Six metre swells are battering the beaches and trees and power has been knocked out all over city and coast

Residents in Moorebank, Chipping Norton, and Milperra were evacuated as the Georges River flooded

SES issued on Sunday evening a warning for the Narrabeen Lagoon area in the city's northern beaches

Commuters urged to stay home as public transport is thrown into chaos with multiple delays to trains

Multiple schools located across NSW are closed on Monday as a result of the floods following record rainfall

Sydney was deluged with 400mm of rain - two months' worth - over the weekend, the most in 22 years


Sydney has been thrown into chaos by a devastating storm which saw two months of rain fall in just two days - forcing mass evacuations, leaving 150,000 homes without power, and prompted warnings not to drive to work.

The storm dumped 400mm of rain on the city over the weekend, causing mayhem for commuters on Monday morning with roads blocked, ferries cancelled and trains suffering major delays across the network.

Residents in flood-affected areas from the city's west to the Northern Beaches and the New South Wales Central Coast have been warned not to drive to work as rivers and lagoons overflow.

'We are trying to ask people to reconsider their travel, a number of roads are closed,' a State Emergency Service said on Monday morning.

'And we are still seeing people driving into flood water.'

New South Wales Emergency Services Minister David Elliott urged motorists to heed flood warnings and stay off the roads if possible.

'We have 400 SES volunteers trying to complete the backlog this morning and unfortunately this has included 150 flood rescues,' he said.

'The message to the motorists of Sydney and indeed the wider metropolitan area is if you can avoid being on the roads do so.'

Sydneysiders woke to the aftermath of the chaos brought on by a weekend of strong winds and heavy rain, with many streets turned into rivers and mansions on the verge of being washed away.

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A woman stops to take a picture of the massive swells at Bronte Beach while out walking her dog on Monday morning

A brave woman was seen swimming in rough waters at Bronte Beach in Sydney on Monday morning

New South Wales was thrown into chaos over the weekend with mass evacuations as flood waters threatened homes. The severe storm comes just a month after bushfires caused widespread devastation

Strong winds uprooted trees during the severe storms. A motorist in Concord woke to some heartbreaking news after a massive tree slammed into the front of their

A motorists makes a risky move by attempting to make their way through murky water after the road began to resemble a river in Sydney

The heaviest rain to hit Sydney in 22 years caused major flooding across the city. Pictured is a flooded carport in Westmead

SYDNEY BATTERED BY RAIN - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - Sydney has copped over 400mm of rain since Friday - More than 150,000 NSW homes and businesses remain without power - Biggest downpour to hit the NSW coast since 1998 - More than 50 schools in Sydney and the Central Coast are closed on Monday - Sydney ferries are cancelled for Monday - State Emergency Service received 10,000 calls for help on Sunday - 156 people had to be rescued from floodwaters - Evacuation orders issued on Sunday night for residents in Narrabeen, Chipping Norton, Moorebank and Milperra - North Richmond and Windsor along the Hawkesbury River flooded - Flooding continues along the Nepean River at Menangle and Camde - Flood watch for the Upper Cox's River and Mcdonald River Mass train cancellations: - Metro North West Line - buses replacing services between Chatswood and Macquarie Park [flooding] - T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line - major delays [signal equipment repairs] - T7 Olympic Park Line - closed [flooding] - T8 Airport & South Line - major delays [flooding] Advertisement

Schools across New South Wales - from Penrith in the far west of Sydney to Wyong on the Central Coast and Narrabeen on the northern beaches - were also forced to close after the record-breaking deluge.

Wahroonga on Sydney's upper north shore received 164mm of rainfall over the course of Sunday alone. The average rainfall for the entire month of February is 117mm.

Wild winds, which grew to speeds of 107km/h off the coast of Sydney, added to the mayhem by uprooting trees and damaging power lines, leaving more than 150,000 homes without power on Sunday night and Monday morning.

Police also responded to reports a car was swept off a causeway in Galston, in Sydney's Hornsby District on Sunday, with fears a passenger was inside the vehicle at the time.

The silver Mercedes was reported to have been washed away by floodwaters on Sallaway Road at Galston between 4.30pm and 5pm on Sunday.

Public transport struggled to cope with the deluge. on Monday morning.

Train stations were clogged with hundreds of frustrated people trying to make their way into work after a number of delays to multiple network.

Trains on the T1 north shore line were heavily delayed, with buses replacing trains between Gordon and North Sydney shortly after 6am.

Train services resumed after 7.30am but were very slow.

The chaos worsened as commuters at the Hornsby junction line, waiting for an alternative T9 northern line service, were stranded for more than half an hour without a train to the city.

A Central-bound service via Strathfield was repeatedly delayed at 7.40am with a train driver telling commuters over a loud speaker he didn't know where the train was going.

The confusion worsened with commuters told the train would instead be heading north to Berowra instead of the city.

It took another 25 minutes for a city-bound train to arrive.

The closure came as the wharf in Parramatta was overcome by floodwaters, with the level of the suburb's river surging during the rainstorm.

The North Shore Line has also been experiencing major delays due to a landslip at Artarmon. Those travelling on the Sydney Metro between Macquarie Park and Chatswood will have to take replacement buses instead.

The State Emergency Service urged motorists to avoid travel if they can while crews work to clear roads that have been covered in debris.

A man wearing a pair of speedos ventured into the wild waves at Bronte Beach on Monday morning after a storm wreaked havoc to Sydney

Swimmers brave wild weather at Narrabeen on Monday morning. Swells were huge after a storm swept through the state over the weekend

A woman braved the bad weather on Monday to go for an early morning walk. She stopped to take a picture as a huge wave hit the rocks at Bronte Beach

Commuters have been warned to expect major delays on Monday morning as public transport has been struggling to cope with the deluge. Pictured: Chaos at Strathfield

The wet weather has caused major disruptions to Sydney's public transport system (Pictured: Chatswood Station where commuters were told to use replacement buses)

Major flooding was inundating Milperra and Liverpool in western Sydney in the early hours of Monday, the NSW State Emergency Service said.

Commuters have been told to catch buses when travelling between Manly and Circular Quay as ferries have been cancelled due to large swells, Ferries Sydney advised.

Buses will also be replacing ferries between Parramatta and Rydalmere.

The downpour marked the biggest the area has seen since 1998.

The popular Blue Mountains tourist town of Katoomba was estimated to have copped a quarter of the rainfall it normally receives in an entire year.

Sea foam whipped up in front of homes along Collaroy on the Northern Beaches on Monday morning

A view of houses in Collaroy on the Northern Beaches where water levels threaten to decimate their homes

A car is seen under floodwater at Marrickville in Sydney on Sunday after the massive downpour over the weekend

Emergency crews worked tirelessly over the weekend after heavy rain and wild winds batter most of New South Wales. (pictured: SES workers clearing a tree after it fell in Strathfield)

Many people had to be rescued from flooding after record-breaking heavy rain hammered parts of Sydney on Sunday

ONGOING SYDNEY TRAIN AND FERRY SUSPENSIONS F1 Manly to Circular Quay - no ferries [large swells] F3 Parramatta River - buses replacing ferries between Parramatta and Rydalmere [Parramatta Weir overflowing] Metro North West Line - buses replacing services between Chatswood and Macquarie Park [flooding] T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line - major delays [signal equipment repairs] T7 Olympic Park Line - closed [flooding] T8 Airport & South Line - major delays [flooding] Advertisement

The rainfall was so heavy it could break February records in parts of New South Wales.

Residents in low-lying areas near the Narrabeen Lagoon in northern Sydney were ordered by the NSW State Emergency Service to evacuate on Sunday night as floodwaters began to threaten homes.

Stormy conditions are expected to tail off from Monday, although in Sydney and the Wollongong and Newcastle regions rain is still very likely until Thursday this week.

By the weekend, there will be only a 50 per cent chance of rain.

However, Bureau of Meteorology state manager Jane Golding a king tide and 8m high waves are threatening to cause further damage early this week.

'Monday and Tuesday will be the main danger period because it is really the height of the waves, the power of the waves coming in from the East which erodes the land,' she said.

This weekend has also brought heavy flooding to parts of Queensland, with Coolangatta on the Gold Coast receiving more than 100mm of rain just on Saturday. The February average is 138mm.

On Sunday evening, the State Emergency Service issued a warning for the Narrabeen Lagoon area in Sydney, telling residents they needed to evacuate by 10.30pm on Sunday.

Marrickville, in Sydney's inner-west, was inundated as parts of NSW were hit with as much as 400mm of rain since Friday

Residents near the Narrabeen Lagoon in northern Sydney evacuated overnight after being told flooding in the area was likely to be worse than the damaging flood of 2016. Pictured: Residents travelling by canoe as floodwater rise in Narrabeen

Trees were uprooted as strong winds tore through New South Wales on Saturday and Sunday

Ferries were delayed or cancelled in Sydney over the weekend due large swells

Sydney is bracing the strongest winds in 16 years and the biggest downpour since 1998 which have combined to fell trees, turn roads into rivers, and leave 150,000 without power

A man wades through ankle deep floodwaters as he leaves his car after it failed to start during record-breaking rainfall in Sydney on Sunday

The State Emergency Service - which ordered residents in the northern beaches suburbs of Narrabeen Lagoon, Moorebank, Chipping Norton and Milperra to leave their homes on Sunday evening Wahroonga on Sydney's upper north shore received 164mm of rainfall over the course of Sunday alone (Narrabeen pictured flooded on Sunday)

Pedestrians in Sydney are doused with torrential rain battering the city and surrounding areas as far north as Taree, with warnings of dangerous conditions along the coast. Four people were taken to hospital after a falling tree hit a taxi in Sydney

THE SCHOOLS CLOSED IN NEWS SOUTH WALES ON MONDAY Albion Park High School Albion Park Public School Bilpin Public School Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus Brunswick Heads Public School Central Mangrove Public School Colo Heights Public School Ebenezer Public School Elanora Heights Public School Freemans Reach Public School Galston High School Gibberagong Environmental Education Centre Glossodia Public School Hawkesbury High School Holgate Public School Jilliby Public School Kulnura Public School Kurrambee School Lisarow Public School Macdonald Valley Public School Mannering Park Public School Marsden High School Megalong Public School Narrabeen Lakes Public School Narrabeen North Public School Narrabeen Sports High School Peats Ridge Public School Penrith Valley Learning Centre Pitt Town Public School Point Clare Public School Somersby Public School Towamba Public School Tullimbar Public School Wilberforce Public School Wooli Public School Wyndham Public School Wyong Creek Public School Advertisement

Residents in Moorebank, Chipping Norton, and Milperra were ordered to evacuate by 7pm on Sunday.

The warnings follow the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting flooding for the Hawkesbury River around north Richmond Lowlands.

There are concerns the Georges River at Milperra could reach levels higher than 1988's flood.

Four people were rushed to hospital after their taxi was crushed by a falling tree in the CBD when it landed across the road opposite Hyde Park.

Railway tracks in the Blue Mountains at Leura gave way - cutting off services to the area - after land gave way, while a family was rescued by emergency services from their home in Ourimbah on the Central Coast.

Shocking footage in the Blue Mountains meanwhile showed floodwater gushing down Leura Cascades as a person in a yellow coat waded through raging currents almost up to their waist.

Frustrated commuters took to social media to share photos of Monday's commute. Pictured: Crowded platforms at Campbelltown

Almost 80mm of rain has fallen since 9am on Sunday at a rate of 15 to 20mm an hour, with the NSW Central Coast particularly doused by the long-lasting storm (boys pictured playing in floodwater in Sydney on Sunday)

A tree in Redfern is blown clear over out of the ground, crashing into a fence as wild winds batter Sydney and the NSW coast

A weather bureau radar map shows the massive deluge of rain across Sydney and along the NSW coast, and stretching inland half way to Canberra

NSW Maritime said a number of boats have been sunk by the turbulent conditions at sea.

Emergency services have been swamped with calls since the deluge set in on Friday, while the extreme weather has caused transport chaos across Sydney.

'This wet and windy weather is really wreaking havoc on our roads today, with paramedics responding to five car accidents every hour since Friday night,' NSW Ambulance spokesman Giles Buchanan said on Sunday afternoon.

'The rain will get heavier tonight and it will stay windy until well into the night and could continue early morning in Illawarra and Shoalhaven,' Weatherzone forecasters told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday afternoon.

Better news for New South Wales and Queensland though came in the form of the Warragamba Dam reaching its highest level in years.

Huge spray kicks up over the cliffs in Watson's Bay, inverting waterfalls and soaking pedestrians watching the show

In the southern Queensland town of Warwick - which sits in a region plagued by water shortages in recent months - two years of drinking water have poured into the local dam.

Five bridges across the Hawkesbury River are however closed - Richmond, Springwood Road in Anges Banks, Bridge Street in Windsor, Sackville Road in Sackville Ferry, and River Road in Webbs Creek.

In addition, waves up to 14m high propelled by the gale force winds threaten to wash away mansions on Sydney's northern beaches.

In echoes of the storm that carved 15m off the coastline and wrecked seven beachside properties in Collaroy in June 2016, massive swells are already eroding beaches in the same area.

'Erosion of the beaches inevitable which could impact properties that are close to the beach,' Weatherzone said.

The Northmead Dam is full to bursting thanks to days of sustained rain capped off with the 80mm that has fallen on Sunday

Waves up to 14m high propelled by the gale force winds threaten to wash away mansions on Sydney's northern beaches

A surfer look out towards the ocean at Bondi beach and reconsiders his options with average swells of more than six metres coming in

In echoes of the storm that carved 15m off the coastline and wrecked seven beachside properties in Collaroy in June 2016, massive swells are already eroding beaches in the same area

A boat was pictured washed ashore on the beach at Balmoral Beach on Sydney's lower north shore in the torrential rain and heavy winds

'The swell is huge. There's been 13.9m waves record off Sydney, which is ridiculous.'

Fire-ravaged Conjola region prepares told to flee Residents in Lake Conjola were urged to evacuate on Monday morning as rising floodwaters threatened the area. The NSW SES gave homeowners just two hours to pack up and leave. The evacuation comes just a month after the region was threatened by raging bushfires. The SE said road access would likely get cut off when floodwater enters at 1.5metres. Advertisement

An average swell of six metres is crashing into beaches across Sydney, which is in line with the 2016 storm, but there are many waves far bigger that could do significant damage.

The Bureau of Meteorology said there on Sunday there was 'potential for periods of very heavy (torrential) rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding' in the Hunter region, including the Central Coast.

The last time Sydney and the state's coast had as much rainfall was mid-2016. ose figures and you have to go back as far back as 1998 to see totals like we'll get,' the bureau said.

Terrified Sydney residents shared images showing the destruction caused by the powerful storm on Sunday.

'The closest to typhoon weather I've seen in Sydney. Wow,' tweeted journalist Robert Ovadia.

'We're in there somewhere,' tweeted marine scientist Elisa Bone, alongside a radar image showing Sydney covered in dark blue.

BoM issued minor flood warnings for the Tweed River, Bellinger River, Hastings River, Georges River, Tuggerah Lake, Paroo River, Wallis Lake, Weir River and the Cooks River.

A worker stands by on the southern end of the popular beach with the Grotto Point Lighthouse barely visible in the background as the record-breaking storm bore down on Sydney on Sunday

Rain drenched even the best-prepared pedestrians in Sydney with the strong winds turning umbrellas into useless pieces of twisted metal.

Trees were broken or even blown clear out of the ground by the wind and streets were turned into raging torrents that cars battled to drive through.

A State Emergency Service spokesman said six flood rescues had been performed in the Grafton area overnight on Saturday.

One family was rescued by the Rural Fire Service via helicopter after flood waters cut them off leaving them isolated in a car.

A boys sits in floodwater at Tempe in Sydney

A man in Tempe, Sydney, wades through calf-deep water to reach his car, which will almost be flooded once he opens the door

Flooded streets are seen in Byron Bay, Northern NSW, as the deluge reach right across the NSW coast

RAIN HEADS SOUTH TO DRENCH BUSHFIRE-RAVAGED VICTORIA Devastating storms that ripped through eastern NSW are on their way to Victoria, threatening floods in the state's bushfire-ravaged east. The Bureau of Meteorology on Sunday issued a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall that will affect most of Victoria on Monday, with downpours expected in East Gippsland. Rainfall between 25 and 60mm is forecast from early Monday morning to mid-afternoon and emergency services have advised that in fire-affected areas, rainfall might bring debris into waterways and trigger landslides. Rain started falling across Victorian fire grounds on Monday, providing some relief to firefighters as they prepare for potential damage to roads across the eastern parts of the state. 'We're rapt with the rain that has started to fall across parts of the fire grounds today and have our fingers crossed it continues over the next few days as predicted,' the Gippsland Department of Water, Land and Planning said. 'There is a chance though that the increased rainfall could cause a few issues with landslips and road damage in some fire-affected areas again, as we saw a few of weeks ago.' Emergency Victoria said crews are on standby to clean up and remove any hazards from the roads, with machinery deployed in fire-ravaged areas like Orbost and Genoa. 'Heavy rain should be confined to East Gippsland, which is a double-edged sword,' Emergency Victoria said. 'On the one hand, it's good bushfire extinguishing rainfall. On the other hand, the vulnerable landscape will be at a higher risk of landslips, trees falling, and pollution of debris and ash running into local waterways.' Storms and showers are expected around almost all of Victoria until Saturday. Source: AAP Advertisement

A 16-year-old boy has been taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs after he was trapped between debris in waist-deep water for two hours in the Hunter region, police said.

The teen was rescued by emergency services after falling into the Allyn River at about 9am on Sunday.

The SES has responded to more than 3,300 requests for assistance since Wednesday, Ms York told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.

Life guards pulled in the flags at Bondi Beach on Sunday to keep swimmers from jumping into the dangerous surf

Rain-soaked storm chasers watch the waves crash at Fairy Bower on Sydney's northern beaches on Sunday

Ms Webb said people were either not hearing or adhering to warnings to not drive into flood waters.

'I'm disappointed that I need to remind people to act responsibly and not to take risks in these types of conditions, especially when around floodwaters,' she said.

There were widespread power outages across Sydney's far north and Hills District, plus others in East and West Ryde, Gordon, Pymble, Bexley, Hurstville, Lugarno, Peakhurst, Miranda, and Sylvania.

There are other localised outages in dozens of neighbourhoods across the lower north shore and eastern suburbs.

The Central Coast was even harder hit, particularly inland, with outages numerous from San Remo to Umina Beach. Areas around Niagara are the worst affected.

Waves crashed over the footpath at Fairy Bower in Sydney's northern beaches on Sunday

Pedestrians sprint along the streets between pieces of cover - which at one point were ineffective and blocking the sideways rain

A teenager had to be freed from the raging Allyn River in the Hunter region northwest of Newcastle after he fell out of his canoe and was trapped against driftwood

State Emergency Service crews waded and in and hauled him to safety along with NSW Fire and Rescue

Streets across Sydney were turned into raging torrents that cars battled to drive through

This tree in Redfern stood little chance against the damaging winds that sparked warnings across the coast from the weather bureau

A car sits in the floodwaters at Marrickville in Sydney's inner west on Sunday, with the water level halfway up its tyres

Floodwaters rise up over the streets at Marrickville in Sydney's inner west on Sunday

Some 270 electrical hazards need repairing, mostly from large trees being blown over powerlines, the company said on Sunday morning.

'The state is copping the heaviest rainfall event it has endured since the 1990s,' according to BOM acting NSW manager Jane Golding.

Waves of at least four metres are forecast along most of the NSW coast, and three metres for the rest of the state.

Sydney's beaches were getting particularly battered with swells of more than six metres forecast for Bondi Beach.

The rains have doused 24 fires in the past four days, including the Currowan bushfire on the South Coast which had been burning for 74 days.

But as rivers fill and overflow, emergency services are being stretched to their limits to conduct rescue operations for those stranded by rising floodwaters.

Train stations were flooded on Sunday morning after days of downpour, with photographs showing Narrabri station in rural NSW looking more like a ferry wharf.

Some streets in Narrabri in northern NSW were completely flooded. Forecasters have warned of landslips, monster waves and flash flooding as the storm over Australia's east coast intensifies after four days of continuous heavy rainfall

A severe weather warning is in place on Sunday morning for heavy rain, damaging winds, abnormally high tides and damaging surf across large parts of New South Wales

SES volunteers rescue a motorist trapped in flood waters. Since midnight on Wednesday, the NSW SES has carried out 26 flood rescues and received more than 3,253 calls for help

Tropical Cyclone Damien hots Western Australia: A tropical cyclone lashed parts of the coast of Western Australia's Pilbara region with destructive winds in excess of 200km/h. Severe Tropical Cyclone Damien reached the coast near Dampier on Saturday afternoon, bringing fierce gales to the industrial port and the nearby city of Karratha. The Bureau of Meteorology said on Saturday evening the cyclone had weakened to a category two system after earlier causing very destructive winds of up to 205 km/h. Towns between Port Hedland and Onslow were warned they would feel its brunt, including Pannawonica and Barrow Island. The same was true for parts of the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions, including Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Mount Augustus. Residents between Dampier and Whim Creek had been warned of the potential for a very dangerous storm tide. Heavy rain had also been expected to cause flooding in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions, with falls of up to 300mm or more possible in some areas. Karratha had already experienced 109mm by about 6:30pm AWST on Saturday. A 'red alert' was in effect on Saturday for people in or near Whim Creek to Mardie and south to Pannawonica, with residents told to seek shelter immediately. The cyclone is expected to weaken as it continues to move inland, tracking south-to-southeast, before eventually losing its cyclone status on Monday. Perth is not expected to be affected by Damien. This is the third cyclone of the season off the WA coast. Advertisement

Ms Golding earlier said 'this is a very dangerous system'.

'Potentially we haven't seen anything like this since the late 1990s,' Ms Golding said.

Flash flooding has been putting people in life-threatening situations all weekend.

On Saturday, two women climbed out of their car windows as their vehicle was dragged under flood waters in Northern New South Wales.

Gill Sutherland, 67, and her niece Hannah, 30, were driving to Nimbin in the New South Wales Northern Rivers region when they crossed a flooded road on Saturday.

However, they quickly lost control of the car which filled up with water and sank, completely disappearing from sight.

While NSW struggles through the clean up from the storm and Victoria braces for an onslaught of severe weather, South Australia has been sweating through 30C heat.

Light showers will hit the area on Monday afternoon, however, those are expected to clear later in the evening.

For the rest of the country, the wet weather is expected to linger for a few more days before it starts to clear on Thursday.