Evacuated Sydney residents allowed to return as Australia’s east coast smashed by storms

Summer storms on Australia’s east coast have claimed one life and threatened dozens more as flood waters rise.

Residents and holidaymakers have been told they can return back after being evacuated Narrabeen Lagoon in Sydney’s northern beaches overnight on Saturday, while a landslide damaged three homes and injured at least one woman 20km north, at Great Mackerel beach.

New South Wales State Emergency Service crews responded to 1,403 calls for help in the 24 hours to 5am Sunday, as cars were submerged and homes flooded.

At least 20 people were rescued from floods, most of who had been driving through flood waters, according to SES assistant commissioner Sonya Oysten.

“That Sydney northern area again, we are urging everyone to keep safe, keep inside if you can, a great day for indoor activities,” Oysten told the ABC.

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“There’s a lot of people holidaying in areas that they’re not really aware of … If you don’t know the roads, please try to avoid any travel.”

At least 750 volunteers had been responding to calls for help supporting clean-up efforts across NSW, the SES said.

Sydney’s Observatory Hill recorded 56mm of rain from 5am to 7am on Sunday. Shane’s Park on Sydney’s north-western edge recorded 53mm of rain in just one hour, taking its 24-hour total above 100mm and breaking January records.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast more heavy rainfall from Sydney’s northern suburbs through to the Hunter coast on Sunday, with severe thunderstorm warnings stretching from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and up to Newcastle.

Warnings for hazardous surf remained in place on the east coast at beaches stretching from Newcastle to Batemans Bay, as well as the Eden coast.

Strong winds were also battering coastal NSW from Coffs Harbour to the Illawarra, the BoM warned.

A woman died after a tree branch fell on her car while she was driving through Macquarie Pass, south of Wollongong, on Saturday afternoon, NSW police said. A man in the front passenger seat suffered minor injuries while the two back seat passengers were unharmed.

Queensland has also faced a bout of wild weather as a band of thunderstorms rolled across the south-east, dumping up to 60mm and leaving about 11,000 properties with power.

More than 2,000 properties are still without power in Laidley and Brightview, in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley region after wild weather took roof’s off homes and brought down trees.

Eleven flood warnings are in force across Queensland as rivers rise in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Koji.

Central Queensland would continue to face major flooding for much of the next week while low-lying areas of Rockhampton were at risk of inundation, the BoM’s senior meteorologist, Dean Narramore, told the ABC.

In Victoria, sunny skies were expected on the first day of the Australian Open’s main draw.

Melbourne was set to reach a high of 29C on Sunday, while Adelaide was expected to be a scorcher with a top of 36C.

Storms and heavy rain were forecast for Darwin, with a high of 31C.

Perth was set to reach 27C, Brisbane 30C and Hobart 21C.