Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Heavy Rainfall in Blue Mountains and Wollondilly Regions

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a “Detailed Severe Thunderstorm Warning for HEAVY RAINFALL” for parts of the Blue Mountains/Hawkesbury and Wollondilly/Wingecarribee areas. The warning (IDN21035) was issued at 12:52 pm on Saturday, March 7, 2026, as severe thunderstorms move into the region.

Affected Areas

The warning specifically covers parts of the Blue Mountains/Hawkesbury and Wollondilly/Wingecarribee districts. Severe thunderstorms were detected near the Oberon and Burraga districts (southwest of Oberon) and are moving east to southeast. Forecasted impact areas include:

• West of Lake Burragorang (by 1:20 pm)
• Lake Burragorang and the Burragorang State Recreation Area (by 1:50 pm)
• Blue Mountains southwest of Katoomba (by 1:50 pm)

What You Should Do

The State Emergency Service (SES) advises residents to take the following precautions:

• Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
• Do not walk, ride, or drive through flood water.
• If trapped by flash flooding, seek refuge in the highest available place and call 000 for rescue.
• Stay indoors away from windows; keep children and pets inside.
• For emergency help in floods and storms, contact the SES at 132 500.

Expected Conditions

The primary hazard is heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding. Recent observations include 33.0 mm of rainfall recorded at the Orange Enviromon Base Station within one hour (ending at 12:35 pm).

Timeline

The warning was issued at 12:52 pm on March 7, 2026. The thunderstorms are currently moving through the region, with specific impacts expected at Lake Burragorang and Katoomba by 1:50 pm. The next update from the Bureau of Meteorology is scheduled for 1:55 pm.