One dead, two injured after flood incidents: police
Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said police want people to work from home today, as the wild weather makes road conditions dangerous.
He confirmed one person has died after a crash at Thornleigh this morning.
Assistant Commissioner Corboy said people should not drive through flood water.Credit:Dean Lewins
Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash at The Esplanade about 9.10 this morning, and found a male passenger had died at the scene. The two male drivers were taken to Westmead in a stable condition, where they will both undergo mandatory testing.
"It’s tragic. We do not want any further tragedies today," the assistant commissioner said.
Two police officers were also injured while assisting people who had driven into floodwater, he said.
The female officer had a "severely broken leg" which would require rehabilitation.
Mr Corboy said people should never drive through flood water.
"We’re out there doing our best for you, so do your best for us," he said.
Police are investigating the Thornleigh crash, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Flood warning for Cooks River
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a flood warning for the Cooks River at Tempe, with rainfall of up to 170 millimetres possible.
Homes inundated by flooding
A home in Sydney's lower North Shore has been flooded as rain continues to pelt Sydney.
James Gleeson said water began pouring through the dog door at his home in Cammeray about 7am.
"I ran downstairs and noticed the water outside was a metre high," he said.
He said his stepdad had to hold the dog door shut so water wouldn't flood the entire house.
One of our senior writers, Deborah Snow, has had to sandbag her house to prevent floodwater from entering.
Two police officers injured in flash flood
By Sarah Keoghan
Two police officers have been injured after a tree fell on them while they were helping motorists during flash flooding.
Police were called to Pittwater Road about 6.50am after reports of a trapped vehicle in flood water.
The officers were clearing the road when a tree fell on the police and the vehicle.
A female officer was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious but stable condition with a suspected broken leg, while a male officer sustained minor injuries and is being assessed for a possible concussion.
Buses delayed by more than an hour across the city
There are major bus delays across the city, with delays of up to 70 minutes on a number of services.
Services with those major delays include Chatswood, Netural Bay and Mosman services, the Homebush, Strathfield, Drummoyne, and Rozelle buses, and Randwick, Kensington, Alexandria, Beaconsfield, Zetland and Macquarie Park services.
Buses in the CBD are also delayed by up to 45 minutes.
Trains delayed, ferries affected
More trains have been affected by the bad weather across the city.
Lewisham station has been closed so no T2 trains are stopping, and passengers are being advised to allow extra travel time on the T1 North Shore, Northern and Western Line, the T2 Inner West and Leppinton Line, the T3 Bankstown Line and the T8 Airport and South Line.
Parramatta River ferries are still not running between Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park, and Cockatoo Island Wharf is closed with no ferries stopping there.
Power restored in the CBD
By Sarah Keoghan
Power has been restored to 1300 customers after businesses and homes in Sydney’s CBD were hit with power outages about 7am due to thunderstorms.
About 300 customers in the CBD are still without power, with Ausgrid crews still working to restore power to Ryde, North Ryde, St Ives, North Turramurra, Marsfield, and Blue Haven on the Central Coast.
Power outages are still affecting 5200 customers.
People continue to ignore flood warnings, research shows
By Julie Power
NSW Police are warning drivers not to drive through floodwaters, although researchers have found that many motorists continue to do so at their peril.
Flooding in Wentworth Avenue, Eastgardens.Credit:Louise Kennerley
Most of the 178 flood-related deaths in Australia since 2000 have resulted from motorists driving into floodwaters, research by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre found.
Even though floodwaters are the nation’s second-highest natural disaster killer - after heatwaves - Macquarie research fellow Andrew Gissing said that driving through floodwaters is an entrenched social behaviour.
Many people make a deliberate choice to do it.
"Despite prominent warning signs and road closures, though, people persist in driving into floods," Mr Gissing said.
"The safety of floodwater can often be very difficult to judge - in particular the speed and depth of the water and what might be underneath," he said.
"Making only a slight error of judgment can be the difference between life and death."
Of the 282 fatal drownings that occur each year, about 13 are flood-related, said the newly published research paper in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia.
Despite campaigns such as Turn Around Don't Drown, drownings from driving into floodwaters were the leading cause of death during floods because many members of the public wrongly believed they could judge the safety of floodwaters.
More requests for flood rescue
By Sarah Keoghan
The SES has been hit with 12 flood rescue requests this morning due to flash flooding across Sydney.
The requests for help have come from Artarmon, Macquarie Park, Pymble, West Ryde, Marrickville, Silverwater, and the northern beaches.
An SES spokeswoman said the majority of requests have come from people who ignored warnings and drove through deep flash flooding.
The spokeswoman said 73 crews have been activated today due to the thunderstorms.
The SES is urging motorists to turn around instead of driving through flash flooding, as flood water levels can be difficult to judge.
About 50 flights cancelled as weather hits airport
By Laura Chung
About 50 flights have been cancelled or delayed as strong winds and rain take hold of Sydney.
The airport was earlier running on single runway operations, but has since returned to full service.
The operational changes caused massive delays and cancellations, but a spokeswoman for Sydney Airport said: “safety comes first”.
Working overnight, airport staff are doing all they can to ensure passengers are inconvenienced as little as possible.
The airport spokesperson advised passengers to check-in with their airline to ensure they receive flight status updates.
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