A woman has died after being swept away in flood waters in the Snowy Monaro region in New South Wales, as severe thunderstorms hit Sydney.
Police said the 37-year-old woman’s body was found on Friday morning, after emergency services were called to Tuross following reports two vehicle occupants, a man and a woman, were trapped by flood waters.
Authorities were told the woman disembarked from the car before being swept away, just after 2.20am on Friday morning.
A body was recovered downstream by NSW State Emergency Services. She is yet to be formally identified, although police believe it to be that of the 37-year-old woman.
The man was found a short distance from the car, and did not require medical treatment.
NSW Police say inquiries into the incident are ongoing.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued severe thunderstorm warnings for the Sydney metropolitan area and for parts of the Illawarra on Friday morning, with heavy rainfall triggering flash flooding.
Although the Bureau said the storms had somewhat eased by midday, they warned they could redevelop in the afternoon.
⚠️⛈️ Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for #Sydney Metropolitan & parts of the Illawarra. Key concern is heavy rainfall that could lead to #FlashFlooding and dangerous driving conditions. Monitor conditions closely including radar and warnings: https://t.co/2qM1QRn3xE @NSWSES pic.twitter.com/R6toJcqP1a
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) December 10, 2021
The Macarthur region has been heavily hit, with Kentlyn recording 48mm of rain in one hour on Friday morning. In the 24 hours to 9am on Friday, Moruya recorded 209mm, Lake Conjola 204mm and Fisherman’s Repeater 156mm.
The Bureau is reporting that Audley, part of the Royal national park in Sydney’s south, recorded 30mm of rain in 30 minutes on Friday morning.
Agata Imielska, manager of the ACT and NSW Bureau of Meteorology said the region can expect some relief.
“The good news is this low pressure system will continue to move offshore, and as it keeps moving, it will mean we’ll see an easing trend, and a clearing one as well.”
“Broadly, moving into the weekend, we’ll see much drier conditions across the state.”
The Bureau is not forecasting any rain for NSW up to Thursday next week, a welcome respite after weeks of storms and heavy rainfall.
#Sydney Weather Update: heavy rainfall and storms are on their way to Sydney right now. Risks include #FlashFlooding and dangerous driving conditions. Monitor radar and warnings closely: https://t.co/2qM1QRn3xE pic.twitter.com/pHGSiwUTQ5
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) December 10, 2021
But flood warnings remain in place as rivers could rise “along the Queanbeyan and St Georges Basin and some adjacent catchments.”
The Bureau also warns of potential flooding in the Illawarra, Bega and Moruya catchments.
Queensland facing more severe storms
Northern and eastern Queensland are forecast to face severe storms bringing heavy rain and flash flooding, after 70mm of rain was dumped across Brisbane on Thursday.
The Bureau expects similar storms in the Sunshine coast, Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett districts, with a trough through the region helping the thunderstorms develop.
It comes after major flooding hit the south of the state, at the Dawson, Weir, Condamine and Balonne Rivers and Wallam Creek, with the flooding forecast to continue.
A woman died in flood waters on Thursday night, after her car was swept from a Brisbane Hungry Jack’s drive-through.
Police and emergency services located the car at about 11.15pm on Thursday night, with a 52-year-old man able to be pulled from the vehicle, but his female passenger was unable to escape.
She was found deceased in the car.
“As they were exiting the drive-through to go back on to Gympie Road, that part of that road was underwater so they’ve driven into the flood water and the force of the flood water has swept them into the creek,” Queensland Police Sergeant Mark Jones said.
The incident came after a 75-year-old woman died after her car was washed away in Brisbane’s west, amid extensive flooding across the city’s west and north.
Emergency services recovered the woman’s body from the car about 4.40pm on Thursday afternoon. She was the only occupant of the vehicle.
Isolated thunderstorms are expected to continue into the weekend, eventually contracting around the north, with rain expected to ease in the states south.
