The NSW South Coast was battered by severe conditions brought by the low-pressure trough on Friday, prompting 123 calls for assistance to the State Emergency Service (SES).
A fallen tree and flash flooding on the Princes Highway trapped 40 vehicles for three hours at Eden, while more than 100 people were temporarily stranded at a golf club after surrounding areas were inundated with rain.
The wet weather saw state emergency crews responding to over 274 extreme weather incidents on Friday.
Campsites in Pambula Beach on the NSW South Coast were decimated by the wild weather.
The severe weather warning follows flash flooding that washed away vehicles and flooded campgrounds in Victoria.
Emergency crews visited high-risk areas on Friday, including popular campgrounds along the South Coast, to warn holidaymakers of the danger.
Some campgrounds and tracks in national parks were closed in response to the weather.
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They include Bendethera Valley campground in the Deua National Park, north-east of Cooma, the Mowarry campground access track in the Beowa National Park south-east of Eden, and some tracks in the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area.
SES Chief Superintendent Dallas Burnes urged campers and travellers to remain vigilant while staying near rivers, lakes and coastal regions on the weekend, and cautioned against pitching tents under trees and other areas vulnerable to wild weather.
“With increased visitor numbers during the school holiday period, travellers unfamiliar with the region are urged to take extra care and check local conditions regularly,” he said.
The low-pressure trough is expected to gradually shift northwards over the weekend, though rainy conditions are forecast to remain in Sydney for most of next week.
The low off the eastern seaboard is responsible for the severe weather, which Hines said would present a far greater risk to coastal dwellers than those in central and western Sydney.
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