Sydney Storm Carnage: Lower north shore smashed by freak weather event.

By ANNA USHER

Lower north shore residents are cleaning up after a catastrophic storm targeted the local area on Tuesday afternoon, swallowing beaches, roads, bridges and houses.

The northern beaches were the hardest hit, with floodwaters quickly rising in Freshwater, Manly, Brookvale, Dee Why and surrounding suburbs.

Mosman was pummelled with more than 120 mm of rain in the six hours to 12:30pm on Tuesday, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

Balmoral Beach and Clifton Gardens suffered the most damage, with large sections of beach and parkland washed away in the severe weather.

Most notably, Roseville Bridge was closed in both directions, with photos captured at the scene showing cars trapped in rising water just before lunch time.

Over at Mackeller Girls High in Manly Vale, students watched from a classroom as cars floated away in the street.

Weatherzone’s Ben Domensino said the wet weather this week is unprecedented.

“Sydney’s year-to-date rainfall is an extreme outlier compared to historical observations,” he said.

Mosman SES volunteers responded to 50 requests for help, with crews making temporary repairs to storm damaged homes and businesses.

“It’s been a very wild day for many of us across the Sydney basin with heavy rain continuing to fall,” a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

“The ground is significantly wet so if we receive any winds, we could start to see some more trees falling over.”

Anna Macintosh, a local WIRES volunteer, told Mosman Collective several wildlife rescues were made, with animals found sheltering on verandas and in garages.

“If residents could keep an eye out for wildlife in backyards or in garages while they dry off it would be great,” she said.

“Many animals are so wet they cannot move.”

If you require assistance from the SES call 132 500.

If you require assistance from WIRES call 1300 094 737.