Torrential rain battered large parts of New South Wales on January 17–18, producing life-threatening flash flooding, widespread property damage and multiple rescues as emergency crews worked through the weekend and into Sunday. Moruya crews responded to roughly 30 incidents, including leaking roofs, fallen trees and flash flooding, and at least one house suffered a collapsed roof attributed to the heavy rain. The SES warned isolated falls of up to 120 millimetres could still occur across parts of the Central Coast and Mid North Coast. The concentrated, high-intensity rainfall that produced rapid flash flooding is consistent with long-term trends toward more intense precipitation events, increasing pressure on urban drainage systems and land-use planning. Officials urged residents to monitor BOM and SES updates as crews continue flood response and assess damage across affected communities.

Source: Indian Express January 18, 2026 10:46 UTC