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East Coast Low: Wild Weather Lashes NSW, Qld

Thunderstorms, flooded rivers and gales are forecast.
More extreme weather is on the way for the east coast.
Getty Images
More extreme weather is on the way for the east coast.

More extreme weather has continued to batter Australia's east coast as a low pressure system moves south, with heavy rain drenching central and southern Queensland and intensifying over parts of New South Wales.

Cloudband is producing rain from #QLD to #VIC with the #EastCoastLow. Latest warnings at https://t.co/wdUcA3jLa8pic.twitter.com/5AmSIUdKKW

— BOM Australia (@BOM_au) June 19, 2016

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued two severe thunderstorm warnings for Queensland and Southeast Queensland on Sunday.

Emergency services are on standby and said they had received around 300 calls for help across the southeast of the state.

Residents on the Sunshine Coast reported a tornado-like storm that whisked through in the early evening.

Conditions have now eased from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane, but warnings of local flooding remain.

BoM said the system would eventually contract off the southern Queensland coast late on Sunday night.

Rainfall totals were forecast between 50 to 80 millimetres, with isolated totals in excess of 100 millimetres.

Meanwhile, residents across NSW braced for damaging winds and heavy rainfall as the east coast low moved south.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has attended rescues in Murwillumbah in the state's north as well as Roseville Chase on Sydney's upper north shore.

The weather system is expected to intensify around the state's south coast at around midnight on Sunday, with heavy rain expected to continue for up to six hours.

Earlier on Sunday, the (BoM) issued a severe weather warning for the Illawarra and the South Coast of NSW, saying that heavy rain and damaging winds are likely to impact the regions.

"A low pressure system is expected to form near the Illawarra coast Sunday evening and then to deepen and move south early Monday," BoM said.

"Heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding is possible in the Illawarra and South coast districts from Sunday evening through to Monday morning."

It said 24 hour rainfall totals of more than 100mm were likely with a few locations possibly exceeding 130mm.

Damaging winds averaging 60 to 65 km per hour with peak gusts in excess of 90 km per hour are possible along the coastal fringe from the early hours of Monday.

Locations which may be affected include Wollongong, Nowra, Bowral, Batemans Bay, Eden and Moruya Heads.

Sydney weather. AMIRITE? Need to go somewhere with better weather... #sydneystormpic.twitter.com/9CdZiVYxHy

— Daniel Gardner (@the_petrol_head) June 19, 2016

Flood warnings have been issued for 13 areas across NSW, including the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers.

Water levels at Warragamba Dam in Sydney's south-west were at 98 percent at 6pm, following 37mm of rainfall since 9am.

The low pressure system has made its way to NSW from the Northern Territory.

A hail storm lashed Alice Springs on Friday bringing down power lines, causing extensive water damage to buildings and knocking down trees.

Read an explanation of what's going on with the wild weather here.

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