Heavy rain brings flood chaos to Australia's east coast

About 100 millimetres of rain forecast in Greater Sydney this weekend, and up to 300mm in the Blue Mountains

People gather on a flooded residential street, near the swollen Nepean River in Sydney, as Australia's New South Wales state experiences widespread flooding and severe weather. Reuters

A house is seen after a landslip took out part of its foundation, forcing the road to be closed in Shortland esplanade, Newcastle, New South Wales. EPA

Emergency services vehicles approach flooded residential areas in western Sydney, after residents were ordered to leave low-lying areas along Australia's east coast as torrential rains caused potentially "life-threatening" floods across a region already soaked by an unusually wet summer. AFP

Residents look at the overflowing Nepean river in Penrith suburb. AFP

People move their belongings during floods after heavy rainfall in Tinonee, New South Wales. Reuters

A TV crew provides coverage of the overflowing Parramatta river during heavy rain in Sydney. AFP

Volunteers at Penrith State Emergency Service making and distributing free sandbags to residents in Sydney. EPA

A car drives through a pool of water on the Northern Beaches in Sydney. EPA

Farmers on Grange Road in Schofield tend to the stock in flooding caused by heavy rain in Sydney. EPA

Heavy flooding at Cattai Creek in Maraylya, Australia. Getty Images

People stand at a washed out section of road at Port Stephens, 200 kilometres north of Sydney. AP

Children play in a flooded park in Port Stephens. AP

Two men sit on a bench in a flooded park in Port Stephens. AP

Australia's east coast was pummelled by heavy rains on Saturday, sparking dangerous flash flooding that forced the evacuation of several regions, as the fast-moving waters lifted houses, engulfed roads, stranded towns and cut power lines.

In Sydney, the country's biggest city, authorities pleaded for people to stay at home as a major dam overflowed and a mini-tornado tore through a western suburb.

Most of the coast of New South Wales state, which is home to about a third of Australia's 25 million people, has already seen March rainfall records broken. Authorities warned the downpour was likely to continue for several days.

"I hate to say this again to all our citizens of the state, but it's not going to be an easy week for us," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

"The rain may not stop till Thursday or Friday."

Officials had issued nine evacuation orders for about 15 areas by Saturday afternoon.

Television footage showed increasing damage across the state, with water engulfing houses up to the windows, people kayaking through the streets, and damaged roads.

One video showed an entire house being swept away. Local media reported that the house owners had managed to evacuate.

Warragamba Dam, a major water source for Sydney, began overflowing on Saturday afternoon. Officials warned that the overflow would quickly add to swollen rivers, leading to flash flooding.

A mini-tornado ripped through a suburb in the west of the city, causing damage to more than 30 homes, knocking down trees and cutting power, emergency services said.

People were urged to avoid any non-essential trips, with officials lambasting those who had needed help after venturing out into the stormy weather.

Emergency crews responded to about 4,000 calls for help over the past two days, including 500 direct flood rescues

This number was "just completely unacceptable", NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said.

"The message is clear: do not walk through or drive through floodwaters, do not drive over water that is covering a road," Mr Elliott said.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast rainfall totals in the Greater Sydney region this weekend of around 100 millimetres, and up to 300mm in the Blue Mountains region, about 100 kilometres inland.

The agency also predicted damaging winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour, with gusts exceeding 90 kph.

Social and sporting events were called off across the state – including football matches and one of Australian turf's marquee horse races, the A$3.5 million ($2.7 million) Golden Slipper.

Almost 30 children in the rural town of Kendall spent Friday night in their primary school library, together with more than a dozen staff members, after flooding trapped them inside and prevented parents from collecting them.

"Lots of hungry little bellies this morning as everyone woke up after a settled, quiet night," a note on the school's Facebook page said. "All safe and sound here at school."