A colossal rain bomb will strike Sydney as residents in northern Victoria brace for even more record-breaking floods that threaten to send some homes underwater.
People in Shepparton, a township that sits on the swollen Goulburn River, have been told it is too late to leave their homes, with 7,300 properties set to be impacted by the rising floodwaters on Monday.
The river reached 11.88 metres on Sunday and continued to rise overnight, with major flooding expected when it hits its peak on Monday at 12.2 metres.
This is higher than the river’s flood level of 12.09 recorded back in 1974.
Residents in Shepparton, Orrvale, Murchison and Mooroopna have been told it is too late to leave their flooded communities and take cover instead.
It comes as Sydneysiders enjoyed a rare glimpse of sunshine over the weekend, with forecasters warning more rain and thunderstorms will hit the harbour city this week.
A colossal rain bomb will strike Sydney as residents in northern Victoria brace for even more record-breaking floods (pictured, wet weather in Sydney earlier this month)
Locals in Shepparton spent much of the weekend preparing sandbags as the swollen Goulburn River peaked
In Echuca, residents were early on Monday being told leave immediately amid concerns people could become stranded by the floodwaters.
The flood-ravaged town is expected to be hit by two flood peaks, one by Tuesday and another later in the week.
Emergency warnings remain in place for multiple areas, including Shepparton, Murchison, Echuca, Kialla, Mooroopna, Orrvale, Charlton Barnadown and Elmore.
Late on Sunday, emergency flood warnings were issued for the Campaspe River from Lake Eppalock to Rochester, Fairy Dell, Kanyapella South, Koyuga and Nanneella.
Residents from Lake Eppalock to Barnadown, and Barnadown to Elmore were ordered to leave if safe to do so.
It was too late for those living between Elmore and Rochester, who were advised to take shelter.
People in flood-affected areas spent much of the weekend preparing sandbags and packing the essentials in case they were forced to evacuate.
Images from Shepparton showed residents wading through the ravaged town in knee-high muddy water and preparing sandbags.
It is estimated about 9,000 residents are currently affected by the flooding in northern Victoria with many cut off in their communities amid the rising waters.
Earlier on Sunday, emergency authorities ordered residents in Charlton and Echuca to leave their homes immediately, where up to 400 properties could be affected.
Images from the flood-ravaged township of Shepparton, northern Victoria, showed residents wading through the ravaged town in knee-high muddy water and preparing sandbags
It is estimated about 9,000 residents are currently affected by the flooding in northern Victoria (pictured, clean-up efforts in Maribyrnong, northern Victoria, on Saturday)
The major flood level at the river at Echuca was higher than in January 2011, emergency authorities said.
The Victorian State Emergency Service (SES) has received over 4,750 calls for help, including more than 500 flood rescue requests since Wednesday.
In the last 24 hours, the SES has undertaken 146 flood rescues, with the majority of calls for help coming from the Shepparton area.
On Saturday, a 71-year-old man was found drowned on his property in the northern Victorian town of Rochester, with police unable to reach him.
He is the first life lost amid the recent floods currently threatening the state.
About 100 Australian Defence Force personnel have also been deployed to help with evacuations and sandbagging in the worst-hit areas in Victoria.
Disaster recovery payments have been made available to residents in 23 local government areas and a 250-bed camp for displaced people will be opened at the former Covid quarantine facility in Mickleham.
Australian Defence Force personnel (pictured) load residents’ cars with sandbags amid floods in Shepparton, Victoria Australia, October 16, 2022
Rescue workers (pictured) use an inflatable dinghy to rescue people from floodwaters in Maribyrnong
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has visited flood-affected areas with Premier Daniel Andrews, where up to 9,000 people are estimated to be affected.
‘We are working across federal, state and local government to make sure that every support is being provided to these communities that are under such enormous pressure,’ Mr Albanese told reporters.
‘Australians are coming together, they are helping each other and once again we are seeing at the worst of times, the best of the Australian character.’
Mr Andrews said residents in flood-affected areas would not be able to return to their homes for ‘some time’ and will be accommodated in the Mickleham facility.
More than 350 roads are expected to remain closed in the state’s flood-affected areas and about 6000 properties are without power.
Meanwhile, a low pressure system is set to hit the Northern Territory and South Australia before battering Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.
Some areas will cop up to 150mm of rain, particularly in flood-ravaged areas of Victoria and Tasmania, while 40mm will be widespread across several states.
The forecast is another blow to thousands of rain-weary residents who have already been battling rising flooding for the past week.
More than 350 roads are expected to remain closed in Victoria’s flood-affected areas and about 6000 properties are without power (pictured, a resident paddles through Shepparton)
Residents in Shepparton, Orrvale, Murchison and Mooroopna have been told it was too late to leave their communities (pictured, a flooded BP petrol station in Shepparton)
In Queensland, severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for parts of the state on Sunday afternoon with forecasts of high winds, heavy rain and even hailstones.
People in the Central Highlands, the Coalfields and Capricornia forecast districts, in the state’s southeast, were forecast to cop the worst of the miserable conditions.
More rain could also hit the NSW coast as people living in already saturated catchment areas prepare for more water to flow to flood-struck communities.
Senior forecaster Jonathan How told Daily Mail Australia s weather system developing ‘will start to produce showers and thunderstorms across South Australia and inland Queensland from Tuesday and then extend to the rest of the east coast from Wednesday to Saturday.’
‘This will be much more widespread,’ he warned.