In breaking news, Sydney has just broken an all-time record for our wettest year in recorded history. Yep, this is not a drill.
After having broken a 60-year record in August with over 2 metres of rain falling on the Harbour City, meteorologists reported that we were on track to break a 164-year-old record for most rain in a year by the end of this weekend. However, now, according to breaking reports from Observatory Hill, this has happened in the space of just a few hours today. Gasp.
As of 1.10pm on October 6, a total of 2,199.8 mm of rain has officially fallen on Sydney's CBD over the course of 2022, meaning that we have now surpassed the annual rainfall record of 2,194.0 millimetres that was seen in 1950.
Meteorologists have forecast that up to 115 millimetres of rain will hit Sydney before Monday morning, with three wet weather troughs converging to create a series of wild wet weather patterns that are predicted to saturate our city from Thursday through to Sunday.
Previously, it was expected that this rainfall would mean that the record would break by the end of the week, but due to this sudden rain onslaught recorded on Observatory Hill, a 164-year-old record has been suddenly broken, with this being the most rain seen in Sydney since records began in 1850.
The Bureau of Meteorology have reported that three successive rain bands will be travelling up the coast, with them issuing a flood watch for much of NSW, including for Greater Sydney and the Hunter, with this being specifically pertinent for people who are around the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, as well as those who are located around the lower Hunter River and Wollombi Brook.
As seen in the Sydney Morning Herald, SES assistant commissioner Sean Kearns expressed concern that this wild weather is set to clash with the last week of the NSW school holidays.
“What we’re going to see is significant amounts of rain, sometimes the monthly rainfall in just a couple of days, if not more." Kearns said.
Authorities have warned everyone to proceed with caution over the next few days, and to pay heed to any flood evacuation notices as the situation continues to develop.