Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Sydney and Gosford/Wyong Areas Due to Intense Rainfall
This alert is no longer in effect.
BOM issued it on April 3, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this BoM weather warning directly from BOM's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a high-priority warning for northern Sydney and Gosford/Wyong, alerting residents to life-threatening flash flooding from intense rainfall.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning
- Affected area
- Sydney and Gosford/Wyong, NSW
- Issued
- April 3, 2026
- Issuing authority
- BOM
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Sydney and Gosford/Wyong, NSW.
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a detailed Severe Thunderstorm Warning for intense rainfall. This high-priority alert was issued at 3:09 am Wednesday, 18 March 2026, targeting the central New South Wales coast. The warning identifies a very dangerous thunderstorm capable of producing life-threatening conditions.
Affected Areas
The primary areas under threat include parts of Sydney and the Gosford/Wyong regions. Specific locations identified in the path of the storm include:
- Dee Why and Collaroy (detected at 3:10 am)
- Mona Vale, Terrey Hills, and Avalon Beach (expected by 3:40 am)
- Palm Beach (expected by 4:10 am)
Additional general warnings are current for parts of the Hunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra, and Central Tablelands districts.
What You Should Do
The State Emergency Service (SES) advises residents to take the following precautions immediately:
- Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
- Do not walk, ride, or drive through flood waters.
- Seek refuge in the highest available place if trapped by flash flooding; call 000 if rescue is required.
- Stay indoors and away from windows; ensure children and pets remain inside.
- For emergency assistance during floods and storms, contact the SES at 132 500.
Expected Conditions
Slow-moving thunderstorms are producing heavy, locally intense rainfall along the central NSW coast. A southerly change moving up the coast has triggered this heavy rainfall within a moist atmosphere. The heaviest activity is currently concentrated in northern Sydney, with the potential for dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
Timeline
The alert was issued at 3:09 am on Wednesday, 18 March 2026. The storm was detected near Dee Why at 3:10 am and is moving north. Impact is expected in Avalon Beach by 3:40 am and Palm Beach by 4:10 am. The next official warning update is scheduled to be issued by 4:10 am.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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