Penrith locals are being urged to be prepared for torrential rain on Friday, with up to 140mm set to be dumped on the city.
The wild weather is due to commence tomorrow (Thursday, April 4) with up to 40mm of rain falling in Penrith. Another 50mm could fall on Saturday but the biggest downpour will be Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts at least 35mm of rain will fall on Friday but it could be as high as 140mm. Regardless, it will be a wet and wild day across Penrith.
NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Sean Kearns said it was important to prepare for the poor weather.
“It’s a good time to make sure you take steps to prepare your homes,” Assistant Commissioner Kearns said.
“Simple things like cleaning your gutters, trimming trees and branches away from properties and securing loose items around your houses will help keep you and your families safe during poor weather.”
Kearns said assets and personnel had been prepositioned ahead of the forecast, and the NSW SES was ready to respond should the community need assistance.
“Rainfall may exceed 100mm over a large number of locations, and isolated totals close to 200mm are also possible, which is why we’ve prepositioned personnel and assets early at a number of locations across the state,” he said.
“Flood and storms teams are on standby to respond should they be required, but we’re pleading with the community to be prepared, stay informed and not drive through floodwaters.
“To stay up to date on warnings and advice, people can download the Hazards Near Me App, which has all the latest warnings for floods and storms.”
The rain could play havoc with sport across the weekend with the Nepean Triathlon to run locally, multiple NRL games in Sydney including the Sea Eagles versus Panthers clash at Brookvale, racing at Hawkesbury on Saturday and junior sport across the city scheduled to be played at various venues.
Conditions will be better on Sunday with no rain predicted, while only a few light showers are predicted early next week.
If you do need assistance from the NSW SES, call 132 500.
If it’s life threatening, call Triple Zero immediately.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.