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Flooding to last weeks in western NSW

Ben Domensino, Wednesday September 28, 2016 - 14:55 AEST

Major flooding will continue to affect parts of central western New South Wales well into October as inundated catchments struggle to cope with record-breaking rainfall.

Streets and homes in Forbes were overrun with water last Sunday night as the Lachlan River peaked at 10.67 metres. Major flooding had developed in the Lachlan River Catchment after a remarkably wet start to spring, with some areas already receiving two-to-four month's worth of rain this September.

As of 9am today, Parkes had recorded 171mm of rain during the month. This makes it their wettest September in at least 127 years of records. Nearby, Forbes had seen 108mm, its highest September total in 11 years and more than double their long-term average for the month.

Unfortunately, two more weather systems moving across New South Wales over the next week will drop more rain into already inundated catchments, including the Lachlan River.

The first is a cold front and associated complex low pressure system, causing rain and storms on Thursday and Friday. The Central West and South West Slopes could see rainfall totals of 20-40mm during this two day period, with isolated higher totals.

Another round of rain and possibly thunderstorms will arrive on Sunday night and Monday. This system has the potential to bring another 5-15mm to the central and southern slopes and ranges.

Based on the amount of water already in river systems and the expected rainfall over the next week, major flooding is likely to continue for some areas well into next month. The major flood peak in the Lachlan River that affected Forbes last weekend is predicted to reach Hillston around 20th of October.

- Weatherzone

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