This time last year New South Wales was recovering from devastating bushfires, now the state is battling “dangerous and life-threatening” flash flooding, and a mice plague of biblical proportions.
Parts of the state from the Illawarra region to the mid-north coast have been lashed with heavy rains and now issued with evacuation warnings, with over 300mm of rain falling in some areas – more than three months’ worth in just a few hours.
The heavy rains have sparked warnings of “intense” rainfall and potentially “life-threatening” flash flooding across the state, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issuing a severe weather warning. The BOM warn that a system is moving across the state’s mid-north coast and down towards Sydney and could bring as much as 600mm of rain in some areas.
The bureau issued a severe weather warning for the mid-north coast and parts of the Hunter on Friday afternoon, warning of “intense rain, possible life-threatening flooding” and damaging winds of up to 90km/h.
It also issued a major flood warning for the Gloucester River and a moderate flood warning for the Manning River. A full list of all current warnings is available here.
Torrential rain and severe weather have battered parts of the state, washing this road away in the NSW Port Stephens region.
Forecasters are warning of “dangerous and life-threatening” flash floods: https://t.co/uJRoMHEdY9
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More heavy rain, thunderstorms and winds are forecast into the weekend, heightening the risk of flash flooding, hazardous surf and heavy swells. Flood watch alerts have been issued for the mid-north coast, the Hunter, the Central Coast, Sydney metro and the Illawarra coast, and the far west.
Currently the most at-risk areas are the mid-north coast where the Orara, Bellinger and Hastings rivers are being closely watched ahead of expected flooding on Friday afternoon.
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While the wet weather is affecting one part of NSW, western parts of the state are in the grips of a devastating mice plague.
The Guardian reported that a spokeswoman for the Western NSW local health district said the mice infestation was a natural occurrence, but had resulted in three hospital patients being bitten while being treated Tottenham, Walgett and Gulargambone.
“Three reports of residents or patients receiving minor bites have been made … and appropriate treatment has been provided,” the spokeswoman said.
“NSW Health staff are responding with appropriate control measures. These include increased baiting and trapping, deterrent measures such as odour repellents and increased frequency of food waste removal, and blocking access by improving seals around doors and windows, yard and grass clearing around buildings, and blocking brickwork weep-holes and other cavities.”
Farmers are increasingly concerned about the rodents destroying crops and stored hay as well as invading silos, sheds and homes, with Alan Brown, a farmer in Wagga Wagga and member of the NSW Farmers Association, telling The Guardian the plague would get worse before it got better.
“It is a plague that has a way to run yet. It is developing still. Conditions are still ideal for mice to breed. Conditions are just right for them,” he said. “A mature female can breed every three weeks, they can pump them out. And that’s what is going on, it is building up to a massive plague.”
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