Residents in Sydney's west are told to evacuate in the face of floodwaters already higher than 1961 disaster and RISING - amid new torrential rain warnings as two weather systems collide
- Major flood warnings issued on Sunday night for Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo Rivers in western Sydney
- 137 schools will be closed on Monday and employees urged to work from home as NSW endures horror storms
- Gladys Berejiklian said Hawkesbury Valley and western Sydney is the most concerning region at the moment
- Rising flood waters in Sydney's west and north-west are now higher than the catastrophic 1961 flood
- Thousands of residents in Sydney's west and north-west have been ordered to evacuate due to rising waters
- It comes after the NSW Mid North Coast was torn apart overnight - but weather is beginning to stabilise
- Sixteen disaster zones have been mapped out along the state and will receive immediate recovery support
- Bureau of Meteorology said the weather situation is 'volatile and dangerous' and will continue to Thursday Thousands more families across rain-soaked New South Wales face their homes being flooded as a once-in-a-century mega-storm lashes Australia's east coast.
Conditions are dangerous and volatile as more flood warnings were issued for parts of western Sydney and the NSW mid-north coast on Sunday night.
Rising floodwaters in Sydney's west and north-west are now higher than the catastrophic 1961 flood, with residents of parts of Penrith told to leave their homes by 9pm before floods are expected to peak.Other residents in the area were told to get out by 4.30pm as the Nepean River burst its banks and torrents of water overwhelmed homes.
A severe weather remains in place for much of the NSW coast all the way up to Queensland for life-threatening flash-flooding with 137 schools closed and workers urged to stay home on Monday.
Up to 60mm of rain is forecast to soak Sydney Sydney on Monday after 110mm fell in the space of 24 hours over the weekend as two weather systems collide.
By 4.30pm on Sunday, floodwaters had started to inundate homes in Ladbury Avenue Penrith (pictured)
A police car was inundated in floodwaters in Freemans Reach in Sydney's north-west on Sunday
An abandoned umbrella lies at the flood intersection of Ladbury and Memorial Avenue in Penrith in Sydney's west
A large crowd of residents gathered at the new Windsor Bridge on Sunday to keep a vigilant eye on the Hawkesbury River
Windsor residents in Sydney's north-west braved the wet conditions to keep a close eye on the flooded Hawkesbury River
Late on Sunday afternoon, the NSW State Emergency Service declared western parts of Penrith as a high danger area where some properties have already been inundated with water.
An evacuation order was issued for all properties within the area bounded by the Nepean River, south of the Great Western Highway and west of Peach Tree Creek, including Captains Road; Fitch Avenue; Ladbury Avenue; Memorial Avenue; Nepean Avenue; and Recreation Avenue.
Residents in the immediate vicinity of Cables Wake Park bounded by Nepean River, Jamison Road and Peach Tree Creek were also ordered to evacuate.
'Once floodwater reaches 7.96m the Great Western Highway Evacuation Route will be cut. If you remain in the area, you may be trapped without power, water and other essential services and it may be too dangerous to rescue you,' a NSW SES alert states.
Evacuees were urged to bring drinking water and food with them and relocate personal possessions to a safe place. The Nepean River is expected to peak around 10.4m at midnight on Monday.
Penrith Panthers NRL coach Ivan Cleary was among the residents forced to evacuate on Sunday night.
He has been living in a Ladbury Avenue home owned by his son, Panthers halfback Nathan Clerary while renovating his own home on Sydney's northern beaches, the Daily Telegraph reported
The Panthers' preparation for Thursday night's grand final rematch against Melbourne Storm have been thrown into chaos with their training grounds at the $22m Panthers Academy complex in Mulgoa also under threat from flooding.
Inmates at the Emu Plains and nearby Amber Laurel Correctional Centres have also being evacuated, Corrective Services has confirmed.
Flood evacuation warnings have been issued for the Windsor CBD, eastern parts of South Windsor, southern parts of Wilberforce and Wisemans Ferry due the rising levels of the Hawkesbury River.
Affected residents have until Monday morning to evacuate.
'Once floodwater enters at 15.45m, the area will experience increasing flood levels, progressively forcing residents to evacuate their homes,' the SES said.
'If you remain in the area after 9am Monday, you may become trapped without power, water and other essential services and it may be too dangerous for NSW SES to rescue you.'
An evacuation centre has been set up for Castle Hill RSL for who need temporary accommodation.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said 'relentless rainfall' will lash parts of Sydney and eastern NSW until at least Tuesday.
'This is a dynamic situation, so check for flood warning updates regularly,' he warned.
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