Incredible satellite images show the devastating caused by floods spreading across the NSW coast as days of torrential rain cause rivers to burst their banks and destroy homes.
Swollen rivers in Sydney will peak at their highest levels in 60 years on Monday morning with flood warnings issued for the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo Rivers.
But the effect of the once-in-50 years storms were already clear on Sunday through stark before and after satellite images showing how far the flooding spread.
Many areas across eastern NSW recorded more than 100mm of rain on Sunday, including the Sydney CBD which copped a 110mm drenching. Picton received 159mm and Oakdale recorded 139mm.
More than 700mm of rain has fallen on Kendall, 35km southwest of Port Macquarie, since Thursday.
Incredible satellite images show the devastating caused by the floods. This shows the Manning River near Taree on the NSW mid-north coast before the storm
This floods spreading across the area as days of torrential rain cause rivers to burst their banks and destroy homes
The heavy rain is expected to keep falling until Wednesday morning and people across the state are on high alert for rising floodwaters. Pictured: Taree on the Mid North Coast
Rivers on the north and mid-north coast that were once just thin lines on the map were turned into thick raging torrents as the excess water spilled across the countryside.
The images covered two of the hardest-hit areas around Taree and Port Macquarie where entire towns are literally underwater and refugee centres are stuffed with now-homeless families.
Water spreads across basins on either side of the Manning River near Taree and the Hastings River near Port Macquarie, covering several times more area than usual.
Joshua Edge and his fiance Sarah Soars, from Taree, thought they were waking up on Saturday morning to celebrate what should have been the happiest day of their lives.
But the wedding didn’t ahead due to a catastrophic once-in-a-lifetime storm wreaking havoc on the region.
Their home was filmed as it was washed away due to rising floodwaters and the couple had several pets who all disappeared – and presumably died – in the carnage.
Rivers on the north and mid-north coast that were once just thin lines on the map (pictured) were turned into thick raging torrents as the excess water spilled across the countryside
Water spreads across basins on either side of the Hastings River near Port Macquarie, covering several times more area than usual
Port Macquarie is now almost underwater as the Mid North Coast town is lashed with torrential rain
The Hastings River in Port Macquarie, NSW is pictured on Saturday morning – as millions brace for a weekend of endless wild weather
Flooding will only get worse on Monday as even more rain is expected to fall, and other areas will be inundated as more rivers dramatically burst their banks.
The worst of the new flooding will be in Sydney’s north west, where Hawkesbury River is expected to peak at 15m at 7am Monday in North Richmond and later in the day in Windsor.
Thousands more homes could be flooded in the next two days as enough water spills out of the Warragamba Dam to fill Sydney Harbour every day.
Water spilling from the dam in Sydney’s south-west began flowing into the Nepean-Hawkesbury River catchment, now on track to see flood levels even worse than the catastrophic 1961 disaster.
Rising floodwaters in Sydney’s west and north-west are now higher than the disaster 60 years ago, where residents in low-lying areas were ordered to leave their homes on Sunday night before floodwaters peak.
Joshua and Sarah lost their house on the very day they were supposed to be celebrating their wedding
The young couple’s home was seen floating down the Manning River in Taree
The Warragamba spillway is releasing water at the rapid rate of 450 gigalitres a day, almost enough to fill the size of Sydney Harbour which holds about 500GL.
Late on Sunday evening the Bureau of Meteorology issued major flood warnings for the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo Rivers, warning of major flooding at Windsor, Sackville, Lower Portland and Wisemans Ferry.
The Hawkesbury at Richmond is forecast to reach 15metres by 7am Monday, with further rises possible. The river is expected to reach the same level at Windsor by 3pm.
Further evacuation warnings were issued for the western Sydney suburbs of Eastern Creek, Stonecutters Creek and Marsden Park, where residents were told to prepare to leave their homes by 3am.
Residents of parts of Wilberforce north of the Hawkesbury were told to be ready to evacuate by 9am on Monday.
Taree is in the grip of a flood rivalling its worst on record 92 years ago as parts of the town have flooded (pictured)
Parts of Port Macquarie (pictured) and nearby towns have flooded and further south Taree is in the grip of a flood rivalling its worst on record nearly 100 years ago
A severe weather remains in place for much of the NSW coast all the way up to Queensland for life-threatening flash-flooding with 137 schools closed and workers urged to stay home on Monday.
In total, emergency services have responded to 6,700 calls since Friday and rescued 670 people.
Footage shared to the NSW Rural Fire Service Twitter page showed a person being rescued from their home in Taree – which was entirely surrounded by water – by helicopter.
The federal and state governments on Sunday morning announced 16 national disaster declarations from Coffs Harbour and Grafton areas in northern NSW into the west to Cessnock and Dungog, and to the Central Coast.
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The regions include Bellingen, Clarence Valley, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie City, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Tenterfield.
Relief funding can now start to be funnelled into local council areas for recovery efforts from the catastrophic rainfall.
Yellow areas are subject to a Bureau of Meteorology severe weather warning of heavy rain and damaging winds for Sunday. The marked locations are subject to evacuation orders or warnings
