Key Points
- The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of renewed flooding for parts of the central west and southwest NSW this weekend.
- A severe weather warning has been issued for much of Victoria, while Tasmanians are on alert for flash flooding.
Massive swathes of an are expected to cop as much as another 65mm of rain by week's end, while Victoria and Tasmania are on high alert for extreme weather.
More than 70 flood warnings are current and the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says a trough approaching from the west will likely bring thunderstorms to the central and southern inland on Thursday and Friday.
Thursday will deliver the heaviest rain and damaging afternoon winds above 90 km/h are forecast in alpine areas.
The BoM is warning of renewed flooding for parts of the central west and southwest from Friday, with rivers experiencing ongoing flooding due to rainfall in recent months.
Catchments are very wet and most dams are at, or near, capacity.
BoM senior forecaster Jonathan How said Broken Hill in the far west had copped an overnight deluge.
"They've now set a new record for the highest October daily rainfall record - more than 50mm overnight," he told ABC TV.
Sunny skies should provide a brief weekend reprieve but many places will remain in flood and more severe weather is tipped to hit on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing heavy falls to saturated catchments.
In the meantime, residents of Forbes in the NSW central west are filling petrol tanks and buying groceries in preparation for the inundation.
The Lachlan River at the Iron Bridge, near housing in the town's southeast, is expected to exceed the major flood level of 10.55 metres on Thursday.
State Emergency Service volunteers have been filling sandbags, as well as handing out thousands of them to residents.
Local commander Rocky Walshaw said it was hard to predict how bad the flooding would be with creeks already swollen.
"Every flood is different but this one is going to be here for a long time" he told AAP.
"This peak is going to stay here for five days but when the rain falls again, it's about where that's going to fall."
Mr Walshaw urged locals to keep up to date with the weather, water levels and road closures.
NSW is still on high alert with another rain onslaught to hit the state which has already seen repeated flood events. Source: AAP / Stuart Walmsley
"We've got a saying here: 'I'd rather be looking at them, than looking for them'."
Authorities have decreased Wyangala Dam water releases from 45,000 megalitres per day to 30,000 megalitres.
Victorians brace for floods, wild weather
Victoria is bracing for heavy rain and floods, with severe weather warnings issued in various parts of the state.
At least 100mm of rain has already been recorded in the northern Goulburn-Broken catchment and State Emergency Service officials warn those in western and central regions are also at risk of serious impact.
SES Chief Officer Operations Tim Wiebusch said on Thursday a series of watch and act alerts had been issued.
"We now have a watch and act out for major flooding on three of our river systems. The first of those is for the Campaspe River in the central part of Victoria," he told ABC News.
"Across in the northeast we've got a warning out for the Ovens and Kings rivers, which converge in and around Wangaratta and again on Saturday there may be flooding expected there."
It comes after heavy rain caused a landslide near Falls Creek on Wednesday.
Damaging wind gusts up to 110km/h are tipped to hit alpine peaks on Thursday and clear from Friday morning.
Moderate flood warnings have been issued along the Avoca, Loddon and Murray rivers.
With large downpours expected, Premier Daniel Andrews reminded people not to drive into flood waters.
"It's dangerous for you and it's really dangerous for the person who has to come and rescue you," he told reporters on Wednesday.
Tasmanian communities on alert for flash flooding
Communities in the northern half of Tasmania are on high alert for flash flooding, with intense rainfall tipped to reach levels of a deadly weather event six years ago.
Significant falls are expected on Thursday and into Friday, with 60-100mm in northern parts of the state, 180mm in the northeast and up to 250mm around the Great Western Tiers.
Townships including Railton, Latrobe, Wivenhoe, Burnie and Sheffield are expected to be most at risk.
Acting director of the SES, Leon Smith, said the forecast rain was on a par with the amount that caused the 2016 floods in the state's north in which three people died.
The Bureau of Meteorology says intense falls may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding in parts of the northwest, with six-hourly totals up to 100mm.
"It is a very dynamic situation that we're monitoring, but inevitably we will see flooding that will have significant consequences," Mr Smith told reporters.
A severe weather warning was in place on Wednesday night for about half the state, while a flood watch was issued for catchments in the northwest, north and northeast, and Derwent.
Southwest Tasmania will see 30-60mm, while the southeast, including Hobart, will receive 15-30mm.
Commercial operations at the port of Devonport have been suspended indefinitely from midday on Thursday due to expected flooding in Mersey River catchments.
The Spirit of Tasmania, meanwhile, has advised passengers that four sailings will be cancelled due to TasPorts' closure of Devonport.
They include the overnight sailings between Devonport and Melbourne on Thursday and the day sailings on Friday.
Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Higgins urged people to be careful on the roads, noting many families would be returning from school holidays.
