00:00A disastrous, really, flood scenario unfolding through parts of the mid-north coast.
00:06A particular concern are residents and communities living on the Manning River and also on the Hastings River.
00:12So that includes places like Wynnum and also Taree, and also upstream of Port Macquarie as well on the Hastings River.
00:18That's where we've seen huge rainfall numbers, 300, 400 millimetres, in the last 36 to 48 hours.
00:25And we're likely to see another 100 to 200 millimetres today in these areas.
00:30But that rain risk is also shifting north as well.
00:32We've seen over 100 millimetres this morning around Coffs Harbour, and we're starting to get heavy falls moving to the Dorigo and Ballingen areas as well.
00:40And some of those falls could even get up around the Yamba area.
00:43So another wet day on the road, particularly between Evans Head and Taree.
00:48Right, it's a dynamic situation, isn't it?
00:50Can you just run us through the latest weather warnings?
00:53Yeah, so we have a severe weather warning current for heavy to locally intense rainfall.
00:58From Evans Head all the way down to Forster, and that extends inland to the ranges as well.
01:04That does include communities like Taree, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, also through Coffs Harbour, and even up through Yamba as well.
01:12We could see heavy rainfall in these regions of 1 to 200 millimetres, with isolated falls even higher than that.
01:18Major flooding is also occurring on the Manning River, the Hastings River, as well as the Patterson River.
01:25And we also have numerous minor to moderate flood warnings, pretty much from Newcastle all the way up to Coffs Harbour for every river in between there.
01:33And further rainfall is likely to lead to renewed flash and riverine flooding.
01:38So please make sure you take all the advice from emergency services and the latest forecasts and warnings.
01:43Our reporter, Kili Johnson now in Taree, asked this question.
01:45Dean, how much longer is this weather event expected to run for?
01:50Yeah, look, still a while, unfortunately.
01:52So we're going to see widespread rain continue through today into tonight.
01:55Then a new upper low is going to move in and hold that rainfall for right through much of Thursday as well.
02:01But then finally that low will start moving that rainfall south as we get through Friday morning.
02:06So that rain should ease by Friday afternoon and it'll be all gone by Friday night and Saturday.
02:12But the flooding will likely linger well into the weekend.
02:14That's right.
02:15Once the rain starts easing, it doesn't necessarily mean that the river levels will subside, does it?
02:22Yeah, that's right.
02:23So all that water that has fallen over the land and then falls into the creeks and streams and then flows into the river.
02:29So what we're seeing now is just all that rain moving into those rivers.
02:32But that continuous rainfall in the next two days will just need to prolong the major flood levels
02:37or we'll continue to see those levels rise as we move through the coming days.
02:41But you're right, once the rain eases, all that water still has to move through those river catchments.
02:45So we still have a couple of days to go of this weather front.
02:48Where is it heading after that?
02:50Yeah, so the focus really will be between that Evans Head and Forster for today and tomorrow.
02:56Then the rain will start moving inland and also south through much of New South Wales.
03:00But much lighter falls along the New South Wales close, including Sydney, Illawarra, down through there.
03:06Probably only 50 to 100 millimetres there.
03:09And over the ranges, some welcome rainfall for those out near Wagga Wagga Hay and even Danilicun.
03:14Could see 20 or 30 millimetres out there.
03:16And then that'll move into Victoria later on Friday and then Tasmania Friday night into Saturday.
03:21All right, Dean.
03:21So what's happening finally with the winds, because they've been an issue in some places, haven't they?
03:27Yeah, that's right.
03:27We had damaging winds earlier this week and yesterday, but thankfully those winds have eased.
03:32Still fresh and gusty along the coast, though.
03:34It's causing some issues, but not reaching those damaging levels.
03:38And the hazardous surf has also...
03:39Sorry, the damaging surf has eased, but we've still got hazardous surf conditions from Sydney to the Queensland coast.
