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National
Danuta Kozaki

Northern NSW residents prepare for flood impact as severe weather warning for heavy rain issued

A severe weather warning for heavy rain extends from the Queensland border to Port Macquarie (AAP: Jason O’Brien)

Torrential rain is again expected to hit New South Wales' northern region as a massive weather system in Queensland makes its way south.

Residents are being warned to prepare, with the NSW Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issuing a severe weather warning for heavy rain all the way from the Queensland border to Port Macquarie.

Forecaster Jonathan How from the NSW BOM said rain had continued overnight and rivers were saturated.

"So overnight the biggest falls were around the Central Coast and Northern Suburbs of Sydney, with 80mm falling on the Central Coast," he said.

"But the focus over the next 24 to 48 hours is the far north-east corner of NSW, with all that rain coming down from north of the border.

"We will see that rain really start to pick up tonight initially north of Lismore, and then we will see the heavy falls developing into the evening down towards Coffs Harbour."

The BOM said flash floods could develop. Heavy rain is forecast from Sunday morning and up to 250mm of rain is expected in a six-hour period with thunderstorms predicted in the afternoon.

There are flood warnings in place for the Richmond, Wilsons, Clarence, Orara, Bellinger, Paroo and Lachlan river catchments.

This vehicle had to be towed after a downpour on the NSW Central Coast. (ABC Central Coast: Emma Simkin)

A man died on Friday after his four-wheel drive became one of many to get stuck in "quickly" rising floodwaters on the NSW Central Coast.

The Central Coast SES Unit had 180 call-outs around the Gosford area, with about 150 millimetres of rain falling in just a few hours.

The BOM predicts the rain will last for another week, with falls of up to 110 millimetres on average across much of the region and isolated falls up to 250 millimetres.

David Rankin, from the Northern Rivers State Emergency Service (SES), said volunteers were helping home owners in low-lying areas sandbag their properties following days of local heavy rain.

"Today our volunteers are preparing," Mr Rankin said.

"We are still answering a number of requests for sandbags and those sorts of things to help prepare for the oncoming renewed flood rises in a number of rivers in the northern zone of north-eastern NSW."

Luckily, he said, most of the rivers started to recede this morning after rainfall dropped off overnight.

But Mr Rankin said there was a real potential for lives to be at risk if flood levels increased.

"If the road is flooded, please turn around. People are not only putting their own lives at risk but [also those of] the volunteers coming to help," he said.

Mullumbimby roads are flooding due to torrential rain. (Supplied: Matt Jackson)

The BOM has predicted flooding for the Clarence River near Maclean. Mr Rankin said there was an evacuation warning issued for a number of the small islands this morning.

"We have seen the Clarence River peak overnight at Grafton and it is receding now," he said.

With the danger expected to extend beyond Sunday, SES Information Officer for the Mid North Coast Steven Lawrence is urging people to take the weather system "extremely seriously".

"There's a potential come Tuesday and Wednesday, the development of another system on top of that, possibly an east coast low that will generate more torrential rain, damaging seas and very high winds," he said.

Meanwhile, the NSW SES has paid tribute to a Queensland SES volunteer who died while trying to help an isolated family.

The volunteer was responding to a call for help in floodwaters north-west of Ipswich.

Three other SES personnel were rescued when their vehicle was swept off the road at Coolana, trying to save a family whose home was threatened by floodwaters.

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