Sydney NSW weather: More areas on evacuation alert as record-breaking deluge ... trends now
More areas of Australia's largest city are on evacuation alert despite the record-breaking rain bomb beginning to ease - as Sydney's Warragamba Dam reaches full capacity and begins to spill.
Warragamba Dam, Sydney's main supply of drinking water, has started to overflow while several rivers in the Greater Sydney region are expected to burst their banks.
As sunny skies greeted Sydney residents on Saturday morning after a day of heavy rain, those in communities on the city's fringes on and the NSW south coast have been warned to expect flooding from saturated waterways.
More than a month's worth of rain fell over Sydney, Port Macquarie and Taree on Friday, delaying trains, cutting power and leading to evacuation alerts.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) was involved in more than 70 flood rescues in the Sydney metropolitan area by Saturday morning and had received more than 4,000 calls in the last 24 hours.
More than a month's worth of rain fell across parts of eastern NSW on Friday, leading to fears of widespread flooding (pictured, Narrabeen on Sydney's northern beaches)
Warragamba Dam, Sydney's main supply of drinking water, started to overflow early Saturday morning
The dam contains 80 per cent of Sydney's drinking water and is expected to continue overfowing for up to two weeks
NSW Premier Chris Minns and SES Commissioner Carlene York said major floods are expected for the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo river in a press conference on Saturday morning.
'While it looks like blue skies across Sydney at moment ... it is important to note that flood levels in some of the rivers, particularly in Western Sydney, are continuing to rise and that presents a danger for some communities,' Mr Minns said.
'There was up to 180mm of rain dropped across New South Wales in some areas, up to 9am this morning, which is a heavy downpour in a small space of time.'
Extensive public transport delays are expected across the city across the weekend and the Richmond, Yarramundi and Windsor Bridges will remain closed until Sunday.
Premier Chris Minns warned Sydneysiders to remain vigilant as showers are expected to ease but continue across Saturday and Sunday
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) received thousands of distress calls on Friday (pictured, Parramatta's ferry wharf on Friday)
Although the storm is drifting southward off the coast from Sydney, its effects are lingering over the weekend
Rescue teams have been working around the clock in difficult conditions since Friday, with Commissioner York asking members of the public to safeguard themselves.
'There have been a number of flood rescues over the period of this event. We have had 152 across the state, 72 just in the metropolitan area,' Ms York said.
'People need to make safe decisions to look after themselves and their families or other people in the car and not drive through the flood waters.'
Ms York said that SES teams are monitoring the overflow out of the Warragamba Dam and said surrounding communities had been alerted on what to do if conditions worsen.
'At this stage we think the effect of that will be just on those low-lying areas where we have been out with the community, letting them know what is coming and ensuring that they prepare for the waters,' she said.
Rural farmland is expected to bear the brunt of overflows from the dam but Commissioner York warned that families and businesses in the area should remain cautious.
SES Commissioner Carlene York said major floods are expected for the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo river (pictured, a resident rows through a flooded road at Eltham in NSW)
Dozens of roadways have flooded and SES members have performed hundreds of rescues
Warragamba Dam contains 80 per cent of the Sydney's drinkable water and started spilling at 5:45am on Saturday.
The dam's catchment area covers 9,000sq/km including much of the Blue Mountains and from Goulburn in the south to Lithgow in the north.
NSW government policy does not allow water to be released from the dam even in the face of significant rainfall which
