‘Quite a substantial amount of rain’
Rainfall may reach up to 250mm in some areas of New South Wales amid the wild weather hitting the state, emergency services minister Jihad Dib says.
He is speaking live on the severe wet weather forecast to pummel NSW:
What we will see in the next 24 hours is rain but also very strong winds. In the rain, potentially around 100 millimetres, isolated in parts to 250 millimetres. That’s quite a substantial amount of rain. That won’t fall all through the catchment and the coast but it will be in different parts.
We are worried about the winds and we know the grounds are saturated and the potential for trees to be blown over. What I would say to people is please be very careful about what you have loose around in your backyards and properties, where you park your cars. Keeping in mind that when the wind blows, and the wind could potentially reach up to 125km/h, the wind will do some serious damage. Some of those branches may end up becoming projectiles.
Key events
NSW SES has responded to more than 900 incidents since weather event began
The NSW State Emergency Services (SES) says there have now been 1,700 calls to its operations centre since the start of the wild weather and that it has responded to 928 incidents.
More than 1,200 volunteers are responding to the impacts of the complex low off the east coast, which is shifting southwards and bringing intense rainfall and damaging winds to Newcastle, Sydney and the Illawarra this afternoon.
In a statement, the SES said calls for assistance were increasing in Sydney and the Illawarra this afternoon with conditions expected to worsen in the coming hours. Widespread rain totals of up to 150mm are likely, and isolated falls of 200mm in 24 hour periods.
Minor to moderate flooding is possible on coastal catchments and in the Hawkesbury Nepean, while riverine flooding and warnings may escalate tonight for low lying properties on the Nepean River.
In the Central Coast, Sydney, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and South Coast regions, damaging wind gusts could reach up to 125km/h this afternoon.
On the south coast, NSW SES volunteers have assisted beachside properties with sandbagging efforts to protect them from coastal surges, while door knockers have communicated possible evacuations on the Central Coast.
Here are the incidents by zone:
Rafqa Touma
Thank you for joining me on the live blog today. Handing over now to the great Caitlin Cassidy who will keep you updated into the evening.
Heaviest rainfalls expected south of Wollongong
The heaviest rainfall is expected south of Wollongong, the Bureau of Meteorology said in a weather update:
We could also see heavy falls towards Sydney, but really through this southern area we could see six hourly totals up to 120mm, leading to flash flooding and riverine flooding. We also see areas of rainfall further north, but the heaviest and the focus will be south of about Wollongong.
BoM also warns of dangerous surf conditions that will build into the evening:
There is a warning for coastal hazards, and damaging surf will build through the afternoon and into the evening, first between Seal Rocks in the north and down towards Illawarra, extending down towards the Victorian border into tonight. Heavy surf and large waves could cause coastal erosion and make conditions dangerous on the beach.
Severe weather warning stretches from southern Queensland to southern NSW
The impacts of a vigorous coastal low pressure system will increase across eastern Australia over the rest of today and will continue into the coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology says in a weather warning.
A severe weather warning is in place for damaging winds above 90km/h stretching from southern Queensland down towards the south coast of New South Wales. The BoM says:
It is quite a broad area, and the timing of the winds will depend on where you are, but generally speaking, for areas south of the central Tablelands and the Hunter, including Sydney, those winds will really ramp up on Tuesday afternoon and into the evening.
Further north and into southern Queensland, those winds intensify from Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
There is also a risk of locally destructive wind gusts above 125km/h possible in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and down the coastal fringe towards Illawarra and the south coast.
“These could cause significant damage,” the BoM says.
Accused Melbourne childcare worker passed all legal checks, former employer says
Benita Kolovos
The operator of a Melbourne childcare centre where it is alleged a worker sexually assaulted eight infants and children has issued a statement saying the accused is no longer working for them.
Police on Tuesday confirmed that a Point Cook resident, Joshua Brown, 26, was charged in May with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims aged between five months and two years old.
The provider said Brown’s employment, all required employment and background checks – including his working with children checks – were in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
They said:
The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is our highest priority. We are deeply committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment for all children and families. We are aware that a former … team member has been charged with offences involving children. These allegations are serious in nature and are extremely distressing. We are focussed on supporting all those impacted not just at our centres, but across the community.
They said Brown was “no longer employed” by the operator and they were cooperating fully with Victoria police, the government and other relevant authorities:
We are committed to supporting the legal process in every way we can.
NSW swim spots likely polluted and ‘unsuitable for swimming’ amid wild weather
More than 60 swim spots in NSW are likely polluted amid severe wet weather pummelling the state.
Beachwatch NSW has flagged 66 swimming locations, including popular beach spots like Coogee and Bronte, as “pollution likely” with a warning that “water quality is unsuitable for swimming”.
“Across the Sydney, Hunter and Central Coast regions may be impacted by stormwater pollution this morning,” Beachwatch NSW said in a post to Facebook.
For your safety, please avoid swimming and be cautious if you’re out and about.
Wet weather in NSW will worsen over next 24 hours, minister says
New South Wales emergency services minister Jihad Dib says the wet weather in the state will worsen over the next 24 hours:
A very complex and a large system that’s developing and already developed and off the coast now and partly on the coast and moving further inland as well. The system stretches as far from say about the mid north coast, down to Bega. The size of it is enormous …
We have seen in the past 24 hours 120 millimetres of rainfall around the Jervis Bay area. In other parts of the state, between 50 and 90 millimetres, including parts of the Mid North Coast. It may seem pretty bad but the terrible thing is the situation is going to worsen over the course of the next 24 hours. Particularly later this afternoon and into the evening tomorrow. So once again we’re asking people to be as prepared as they possibly can be.
‘Quite a substantial amount of rain’
Rainfall may reach up to 250mm in some areas of New South Wales amid the wild weather hitting the state, emergency services minister Jihad Dib says.
He is speaking live on the severe wet weather forecast to pummel NSW:
What we will see in the next 24 hours is rain but also very strong winds. In the rain, potentially around 100 millimetres, isolated in parts to 250 millimetres. That’s quite a substantial amount of rain. That won’t fall all through the catchment and the coast but it will be in different parts.
We are worried about the winds and we know the grounds are saturated and the potential for trees to be blown over. What I would say to people is please be very careful about what you have loose around in your backyards and properties, where you park your cars. Keeping in mind that when the wind blows, and the wind could potentially reach up to 125km/h, the wind will do some serious damage. Some of those branches may end up becoming projectiles.
Wong meets Rudd in US ahead of Quad meeting
Foreign minister Penny Wong has posted to X a picture with Australian ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd upon her arrival in Washington DC for the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting.
In the post Wong thanks US secretary Marco Rubio “for hosting our second meeting in six months”.
Looking forward to discussing how we continue to support a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Tom McIlroy
Jason Clare says he has spoken with Victorian minister about alleged child abuse case
The federal education minister, Jason Clare, says he has spoken with Lizzie Blandthorn, Victoria’s minister for children, about the charges against childcare worker Joshua Brown, who police allege sexually abused eight children.
Clare says the case is extremely serious.
There is nothing more serious than this. The alleged perpetrator is in custody right now, but this is one of the reasons why this was top of the agenda when education ministers met in Adelaide on Friday.
It’s one of the reasons why we’ve banned the use of personal mobile phones in childcare centres. It’s one of the reasons why we’ve made mandatory reporting of physical and sexual assaults in childcare centres a requirement within 24 hours rather than seven days.
It’s one of the reasons why I will bring legislation to the federal parliament in the next few months to cut off funding to childcare centres that aren’t up to scratch.
There is nothing more important to me than making sure that we take every step we need to take to keep our kids safe.
Residents along NSW coast warned to stay indoors amid wild weather
The NSW SES is warning people in Jervis Bay, Ulladulla and Batemans Bay to stay indoors due to severe weather, including heavy rainfall and damaging winds:
Locally destructive wind gusts with peak gusts in excess of 125 km/h are possible along the coastal fringe of the Illawarra and South Coast this evening and overnight, roughly between Jervis Bay and Batemans Bay, with this risk easing during Wednesday morning.
A severe weather warning to stay indoors also applies to people on the exposed coastal fringe of the Sydney Metropolitan area, in areas between Bulli and Collaroy.
Victorian authorities reach out to parents after carer charged with child abuse
Victorian health authorities are recommending 1,200 children get tested for infectious diseases after Joshua Brown was charged with more than 70 child sexual abuse offences allegedly involving eight children.
The Victorian Department of Health and Victoria police are directly contacting families as a precaution.
About 1,200 children are being advised to get tested for infectious diseases, which can be treated with antibiotics.
Not every child who attended the childcare centres listed will be recommended for testing, as they won’t have attended at the same time as Brown.
– with Australian Associated Press
Carer charged with child abuse worked at 20 Victorian centres
Childcare worker Joshua Brown is facing more than 70 child sexual abuse charges allegedly involving eight children aged between five months to two years old who were in his care.
He worked at 20 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025. The alleged offending occurred in Point Cook. Police are investigating allegations at a second childcare centre in Essendon. No charges have been laid in relation to the those allegations.
Police said they believe all alleged offending has taken place within Victoria and no other staff have been involved. Here is a list of where and when he worked:
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15 January 2017 – 9 June 2019: Nino Early Learning Adventures in Point Cook
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18 August 2019 – 27 October 2019 and casual work from 10 November 2019 – 22 December 2019: Explorers Early Learning in Point Cook
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25 November 2019 – 24 July 2020: Adventurers Education in Wyndham Vale
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28 October 2020 – 30 March 2021: Only About Children in Williamstown
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13 April 2021 – 25 May 2021 – Wallaby Childcare centre in Sanctuary Lakes
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21 June 2021 – 16 July 2021: Nido Early Learning School in Werribee
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28 October 2021 – 2 February 2024: Creative Garden Early Learning in Point Cook
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9 February 2023 – 13 February 2023: Leopold World of Learning in Leopold
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14 February 2023 – 10 March 2023: Greenwood in Point Cook
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14 August 2023 – 17 August 2023: Little Blossoms Child Care Centre in Werribee
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1 March 2024 – 30 April 2024: D.O.T.S Occupational Therapy for Children in Footscray
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13 August 2024 – 21 August 2024: Aussie Kindies Early Learning in Sunbury
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14 August 2024 – 16 August 2024: Milestones Early Learning in Werribee
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19 August 2024: Milestones Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing
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22 August 2024 – 12 March 2025: Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing
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12 September 2024: Kids Academy in Melton
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7 October 2024 – 9 October 2024: Kids Academy Early Learning in Kensington
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11 February 2025: Aussie Kindies Early Learning in Keilor
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17 February 2025 – 9 May 2025: Papilio Early Learning in Essendon
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8 May 2025: Milestones Early Learning in Bundoora
– Australian Associated Press
You can read about what he has been charged with here:
Recall on Coles Smooth and Coles Crunchy Peanut Butter 1kg
Coles is recalling their 1kg smooth peanut butter and crunchy peanut butter sold between 1 May and 30 June this year, with a Best Before date of 05/02/2027, due to aflatoxin contamination.
They apologised to customers for inconvenience in a statement:
Food products containing aflatoxin may cause illness if consumed. Any customers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.
Customers can return the product to any Coles supermarket for a full refund. Coles Online customers can receive a full refund or credit by contacting Coles Online Customer Care on 1800 455 400.
Petra Stock
Warragamba Dam likely to spill in coming days, WaterNSW says
Warragamba Dam is likely to spill in the coming days, based on the current rainfall forecasts, dam operator WaterNSW has advised.
The dam’s storage level was at 98% capacity on Tuesday. The timing and rate of a spill would depend on the rainfall received in the Warragamba catchment.
WaterNSW said:
The smaller Sydney dams, including Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon, Nepean and Woronora are also likely to spill.
Fitzroy Falls, Tallowa, Greaves Creek and Medlow dams are already spilling and will continue to do so.
Spills from the dam have occurred more than 50 times since 1960, including three times in 2024 and once in May this year.
