A Sydney train station has been flooded as severe weather hits Australia’s east coast, forcing the city’s popular Vivid Festival to be cancelled.
Trains passing through Lewisham station, in the city’s inner west, were stopped for more than an hour on Saturday afternoon when heavy rain left underground platforms completely submerged in water.
Commuters were seen walking barefoot outside the station carrying baskets full of clothes as firefighters were called to the scene.
Meanwhile, the city’s Vivid light festival was canceled Saturday night.
“Due to severe weather, tonight’s Vivid Light Walk, Tumbalong Nights at Tumbalong Park, Vivid Fire Kitchen at The Goods Line and the Lightscape experience at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney are cancelled,” the event wrote to X.
“Other Vivid Sydney activities, including music, food and ideas events, will continue as planned.”
At Moore Park in Sydney’s east, SES crews had to be called in to drive cars through flooded roads.
Little Bay, in the city’s south-east, received 76mm of rain since 9am on Saturday, while Cronulla received 92mm.
Sydney’s Lewisham train station was closed for more than an hour on Saturday as heavy rain flooded the city.
Commuters were seen walking barefoot outside the station with baskets full of clothes as firefighters were called to the scene.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts that a 5,000 kilometer band of cloud will continue its journey eastwards in the coming days and is expected to have brought rain to 90 per cent of the country by Sunday.
Marrickville Golf Club received 65mm, while North Ryde has seen 59mm of rain since Saturday morning.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the greater Sydney area shortly before 8pm on Saturday.
‘A developing low pressure system offshore is combining with an upper trough to create wet and unstable conditions along parts of the Sydney coast. “Heavy rain is most likely to occur near the coast,” the Bureau of Meteorology warned.
“Strong thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall which could cause flash flooding in the warning area over the next few hours.”
More rain is on the horizon in Sydney for Sunday with up to 20mm forecast.
It occurs when a 5,000 kilometer belt of rain passes over Australia’s east coast, causing torrential rain and damaging winds.
The cloud band has passed over all states and territories this week, delivering more than 100mm of rain on Thursday and Friday mornings alone.
A cyclist is seen riding on flooded roads in Moore Park in Sydney’s east.
Roads were flooded near the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney’s Moore Park on Saturday.
Cars were seen plowing through flooded roads in Sydney on Saturday.
Heavy downpour lashes most of Sydney on Saturday
New South Wales, ACT, outback Queensland and parts of the Northern Territory were the worst affected, while Another low pressure system hit Tasmania with rain, damaging winds, thunderstorms and even snow.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the cloud band will continue its journey eastwards in the coming days, bringing rain to 90 per cent of the country on Sunday.
“On Saturday, it will continue to move eastwards into southeast Queensland, with patchy rain and thundershowers continuing across eastern New South Wales,” senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said.
“Saturday night that low develops off the coast of New South Wales and as we move into Sunday it starts to move eastward and really wraps around moist air on the coast.”
The cloud band passed over all states and territories generating more than 100mm of rain on Thursday and Friday mornings alone.
SES crews were called to Moore Park where road water reached car windshields to direct traffic.
Ms Scully warned it would be “another wet weekend ahead for eastern parts of New South Wales” but could not say exactly where the worst weather would be.
“Heavier rainfall and stronger winds depend on the position, movement and proximity of the low to the coast,” he said.
“If the depression remains slightly offshore, coastal impacts will be limited over the period; however, if it is expected to approach the coast, the forecast may be upgraded to mention an east coast depression.
“The low is expected to move south towards east Vic and the east coast of Tasmania early next week.”
The Warragamba Dam, in the city’s west, is currently at 98 per cent capacity and is expected to overflow in the coming days.
There are currently no flood alerts, but an SES spokesperson confirmed units were waiting.
Vivid Festival organizers said most of their events were canceled because “public safety is Vivid’s top priority.”
Western Australia has also been facing adverse weather conditions.
A warning has been issued for heavy rain and damaging destructive winds across the central west to the south west coast. A cold front is expected to bring severe weather to the West Coast late Saturday.
The BOM warns that heavy rain may cause flash flooding across the South West District from late afternoon, with 50 to 70mm of rain expected.
Damaging winds of 60 to 70 km/ha are possible across the South West District and are expected to spread to the Lower West and Central West Districts on Saturday afternoon.
The BOM is also warning residents of destructive winds that will reach a maximum of 125 km/h from late Saturday to early Sunday, which could cause significant damage to homes and property.
Locations that could be affected are Bunbury, Busselton, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Mandurah, Manjimup, Margaret River and Perth.
In Tasmania, a minor flood warning was issued at Corra Linn as total rainfall of 20 to 70mm was recorded across the North Esk River in the last 24 hours.
The river at Corra Linn is currently 1.95 meters and rising, just below minor flood level.
Meanwhile in Victoria, a minor flood warning has been issued for Seven Creeks.
In northern Queensland, the offshore wind warning for Gold Coast waters is still in place, with a strong wind warning for the southeastern Gulf of Carpentaria and northeastern Gulf of Carpentaria for Sunday.