Heavy rain, flash flooding, and 125kmph winds from a destructive “bomb cyclone” continue to create havoc on Australia’s east coast, leaving thousands without power, roads closed and Sydney under flood warnings.
Electricity distributor Ausgrid says power has been restored to 30,000 customers, but about 9,100 homes and businesses remain in the dark this morning.
Major roads are still closed, and ferry and train services continue to face delays and suspensions.
Australia’s Warragamba Dam, the main water supply for Sydney, is approaching full capacity and will likely spill overnight, WaterNSW has announced.
Some suburbs received up to 130mm of rain through the night and severe weather warnings are in place from as far north as Coffs Harbour to the South Coast.
The New South Wales Emergency Service has issued flood warnings for parts of Greater Sydney, with Advice-level alerts now active for Camden, Penrith and North Richmond.
Areas near the Victorian border could also be impacted today as the intense coastal low tracks south, with damaging conditions expected to persist through Wednesday.
Several domestic flights from Sydney airport including from operators like Qantas and Virgin airlines were cancelled.
What is a ‘bomb cyclone’?
A large fall in pressure – about 20 to 30 hectopascals over the past day or two – has transformed the costal low into a severe storm system.
But the Bureau of Meteorology has stopped short of calling the weather system a “bomb cyclone”.
The bureau’s senior meteorologist, Jonathan How, told Nine’s Today program: “We don’t really use [bomb cyclone] very much. We just talk about a low pressure system deepening very quickly because ‘bomb’ can sort of create a little bit more panic and [make it sound] a little bit more scary than what it actually is.”
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 11:15
Severe weather warning as damaging winds continue along Australia’s east coast
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning as powerful winds batter large parts of New South Wales, including Sydney and coastal areas stretching hundreds of kilometres both north and south of the city.
The intense coastal low is forecast to bring damaging winds averaging 60–70kmph with peak gusts up to 90kmph along exposed coastal areas, including Greater Sydney, Wollongong and the state’s South Coast. Inland areas in eastern New South Wales are also at risk of gusts reaching 100kmph through Thursday morning.
Forecasters say winds will gradually ease from Thursday as the storm system moves away into the Tasman Sea, but authorities warn of continued risk of falling trees, power cuts and dangerous surf until conditions settle.
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Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 10:45
Power to most houses to be restored tonight, energy company says
Endeavour Energy, one of Australia’s largest electricity distributors, says it expects to restore power to most customers affected by NSW’s wild weather tonight, with the remaining households back online by tomorrow.
The company, which supplies Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and parts of the South Coast, said up to 30,000 customers lost electricity during the storm.
“We hope to get over 80 per cent of those customers that are currently affected back on tonight. There will be some customers unfortunately that will be without power tonight, we will get all of them back on tomorrow,” David Campbell, Endeavour Energy’s General Manager of Safety and Operations told ABC.
The storm has left over 400 electrical hazards, and crews are working through difficult conditions to repair damage caused by destructive winds.
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 10:15
Mapped: Flood watches and warnings today
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 09:41
Entire NSW coastline under coastal hazard warning as dangerous surf continues
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a coastal hazard warning covering the entire New South Wales coastline, from Seal Rocks in the north to the NSW-Victoria border.
In a statement, BOM said: “Damaging surf conditions which may lead to coastal erosion and localised damage to coastal infrastructure are likely for coastlines between Seal Rocks and the New South Wales/Victorian border today and Thursday.”
The agency warned that beach conditions could be extremely dangerous, urging people to stay well away from the surf and exposed areas. Conditions are expected to begin easing on southern parts of the coast tomorrow morning.
Residents and visitors are advised to monitor BOM updates and follow local emergency instructions as the storm continues to generate powerful swells and hazardous coastal conditions.
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 09:10
Photos: Waterlogging and fallen trees after heavy rain and winds batter NSW
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 08:40
More than 140 Sydney flights cancelled today as storm disrupts travel
Severe weather continues to wreak havoc on air travel, with at least 140 flights in and out of Sydney Airport cancelled so far today. As of midday, boards at Australia’s busiest airport showed 62 domestic departures, 69 domestic arrivals, six international departures and three international arrivals had been axed.
This comes after 145 flights were already cancelled on Tuesday, as powerful winds forced Sydney Airport to operate only its parallel north-south runways, with the east-west runway closed by Airservices Australia for safety. Travellers are urged to check directly with airlines for the latest updates and allow extra time if travelling to or from the airport.
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 08:10
SES responds to thousands of incidents as flash flooding threat grows
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) says it has responded to more than 2,400 incidents across New South Wales in the past 24 hours, as the storm continues to hammer coastal communities. Since the severe weather event began, the SES has recorded 3,454 incidents and carried out 10 flood rescues.
“As intense rainfall and damaging winds continue to impact coastal communities, more than 2,000 members have been kept busy overnight and into today attending to requests for help,” NSW SES wrote on Facebook. Crews are currently deployed in Burrill, Tabourie and Lake Conjola, where around 30 properties have been affected by flooding.
The SES warned that “flash flooding remains a key concern today” and said further warnings could be issued for Lake Conjola and Sussex Inlet, with residents in those areas already door-knocked and informed of the risks.
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 07:40
Repeated flooding likely to worsen, experts warn
As communities in New South Wales face yet another devastating storm, experts say repeated flooding events are becoming more frequent, and more psychologically and financially damaging. Dr Lauren Vinnell of Massey University said: “Any experience of flooding can have harmful psychological impacts, but we know that it’s even worse when people go through multiple events, especially back to back like we’re starting to see more often.”
Climate scientist Dr Daithi Stone said that while it’s complex to directly link individual storms to climate crisis, the warming atmosphere is already making extreme rainfall more intense. “The warming we have already seen equates to about 10 per cent more water. This means we would expect 10 per cent more rain to fall in these types of storms,” he said.
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 07:15
Australia’s Warragamba Dam, the main water supply for Sydney, is approaching full capacity and will likely spill overnight, WaterNSW has announced.
In a statement, the agency said the expected overflow would be “moderate”, with a peak spill rate of around 60 gigalitres per day, though the exact volume depends on how much more rain falls across the catchment today.
Smaller dams near Sydney, including Cataract, Nepean, Cordeaux, Avon and Woronora, began spilling overnight and continue to release water. Fitzroy Falls, Tallowa, Greaves Creek and Medlow dams were already spilling before this storm and remain full.
Warragamba Dam sits about 65km west of central Sydney and holds most of the city’s drinking water. When the dam spills during intense rainfall, it can cause downstream flooding along the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers, posing risks to communities in western Sydney.
Stuti Mishra2 July 2025 06:51
