Parts of Sydney have been told to evacuate or prepare to leave as the city continues to face intense weather on Saturday and Warragamba Dam, which supplies Sydney’s drinking water, starts to spill after reaching full capacity.
“Flood levels in some of the rivers, particularly in western Sydney, are continuing to rise – and that presents a real danger,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said on Saturday morning.
Warragamba Dam has begun to spill.Credit: Nine News
The NSW State Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York said her agency had performed 152 rescues, 77 of them in the Sydney area, and responded to more than 2000 incidents.
“There’s blue sky out there but the rivers are still rising,” York said.
Evacuation alerts were issued on Saturday morning for residents near Manly Dam and Narrabeen Lagoon in the city’s north, as well as for parts of the city’s north-west fringe near Richmond, the Hawkesbury, and Picton, south-west of Sydney.
Residents in low-lying parts of Chipping Norton were told to evacuate at 12.35am on Saturday. On Saturday morning, further alerts were issued for other parts of Chipping Norton, as well as Penrith, Georges Hall and Woronora.
Parts of Narrabeen are seen affected by flooding on Saturday morning.Credit: Tim Seaton
Evacuation centres have been established at Club Richmond, Liverpool Club and the Bankstown Sports Club.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Steven Bernasconi said the threat posed by wind and rain would contract toward the state’s south-east and Sydney could expect more average weather conditions on Sunday.