NSW: NSW north coast faces weekend of wild weather

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2007
NSW: NSW north coast faces weekend of wild weather

By Crystal Ja

SYDNEY, Dec 28 AAP - Holiday-makers on the NSW north coast face a weekend of wild weather,
with a tropical low creating bouts of torrential rain, strong winds and five-metre-high
waves.

The State Emergency Service (SES) is advising those north of Yamba, including the holiday
hotspots of Byron Bay and Tweed Heads, to prepare for a glum New Year's Eve, weather wise.

A tropical low, currently developing over the Coral Sea, east of the Whitsunday Islands,
is expected to move south-east and intensify on Sunday.

Strong south-easterly coastal winds could create waves at least five metres high and
beach erosion was likely, the SES said.

A powerful east to south-easterly swell was also expected to accompany the winds, peaking
on Sunday.

"It looks like a pretty lousy New Year's Eve for people up on the north coast. It'll
be an indoor celebration I think," SES spokesman Phil Campbell told AAP.

"It'll be pretty wet and windy otherwise."

Some beaches may close and holiday-makers are advised to stay out of the water, Surf
Life Saving Australia said.

Mr Campbell urged campers not to set up near water courses, to check river conditions
regularly and not drive or walk through flood waters given the expected rain.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms over parts of NSW last night brought lightning, flash floods
and hail, but the SES reported little damage to homes.

"We didn't get much in terms of action from the thunderstorms ... a couple dozen requests
for assistance. It was very, very quiet," Mr Campbell said.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) predicted heavy rains and flash flooding in the Hunter
and Central Tablelands, Illawarra and western parts of Sydney yesterday, but two of the
biggest storms managed to bypass populated areas, a BoM spokesman said.

The Blue Mountains area reported most of the action, with Falconbridge receiving 25mm
of rain within 10 minutes at 1pm, causing localised flash flooding.

A large amount of small hailstones also fell in Lithgow and Katoomba, he said.

AAP cj/hn/ht/mn

KEYWORD: STORMS NSW

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