Large swathes of NSW are at risk of possible flash floods sparked by heavy rain forecast to hit the state.
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Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said severe weather was expected in the central and southern tablelands as well as a large area of the state's southeast on Thursday, when heavy downpours were possible.
"Persistent wet weather could lead to areas of flash and riverine flooding in these places," he said.
In Sydney, he said it would be a wet day and cautioned that severe weather warnings could be extended to the state capital if the outlook deteriorated.
Three flood warnings were in place across the state and several flood watches were current, he added.
Rivers at most risk of flood were in the St Georges Basin near Nowra, the Cooks River near Sydney and the Hastings River further north.
The NSW State Emergency Service warned people in Penrith and nearby areas to be prepared for possible moderate flooding on the Nepean River due to "very heavy rainfall" expected in Sydney's west.
Catchment areas were already wet after recent rainfall and Warragamba Dam, which supplies most of Sydney's water, was nearing capacity.
Based on current forecasts, there was a chance the dam would spill in the coming days, WaterNSW said.
That event would put further pressure on waterways on Sydney's outskirts as the overflow hit river systems.
Widespread rainfall in the city and to its south and west was expected to bring two-day totals of up to 150mm on Thursday and Friday, with isolated falls in some areas of above 250mm, the bureau said.
Conditions were expected to ease by the weekend, when showers were expected on Saturday ahead of a clear Sunday.
Most of the wet weather overnight was south of Wollongong, with some areas receiving up to 140mm of rain to 6am on Thursday.
The alert came after the bureau in May warned Australia could see the return of a La Nina weather pattern, which typically brings wetter-than-usual conditions to the nation's east.
There was a 50-50 chance the weather system might form in the Pacific Ocean later in 2024, it said at the time.
In April, the bureau declared an end to an El Nino weather event, which generally brings hotter, drier weather to the country's east.
Australian Associated Press
