Heavy rain leads to chaos on roads - The Canberra Times

Mark Evan from Campbell and Ada Goldsmith from Belconnen try to stay dry at Floriade on Monday. Photo: Jeffrey Chan

Canberra has received record breaking rain overnight, forcing the closure of roads and crossings throughout the capital.

Diehards soak it up as Floriade gets a drink

The Bureau of Meteorology recorded almost 80mm in some parts of Canberra, flooding roads and forcing the closures of numerous bridges including Oaks Estate low level crossing and Point Hut Crossing.

Heavy rains also forced drivers down to one lane at the roundabout on Canberra Avenue, at the intersection with Sturt Avenue in Narrabundah. It has since reopened.

Meteorologist Sean Carson said 60mm had been recorded at the Canberra Airport as of 12.30pm, while Tuggeranong received a 77mm drenching that prompted more than two dozen emergency calls.

“That’s our wettest 24 hour period since March 2012,” he said.

“It’s also our period in September all up. It is record breaking for this time of the year.”

Emergency services received more than a dozen calls for help during the downpour.

The ACT State Emergency Service responded to 25 calls since 2pm Monday, mostly relating to minor damage from leaking roofs across the south of the capital.

Two calls for help were prompted by fallen trees, also causing minor damage.

Mr Carson said Canberra bore some of the worst of the heavy rains prompted by a low pressure system across the ACT and NSW, while east to Illawarra recorded some falls of up to 100mm.

He said the falls would fade rapidly, but lighter showers were expected throughout the rest of Tuesday.

The heavy falls also forced police onto social media, where they warned drivers to slow down amid multiple crashes in the wet conditions.

Emergency crews were first called to a five-car collision on the Tuggeranong Parkway shortly after 8.30am.

Ambulance officers treated three people on the scene near Hindmarsh Drive, but no one was transported to hospital.

The crash blocked the right lane of traffic and all southbound traffic was diverted along Cotter Road.

Crews also attended another multiple-car crash on the Tuggeranong Parkway, near Sulwood Drive, around 8.45am. No injuries were reported and both scenes were cleared by 9.35am.

An ACTION bus driver also escaped injury after a bus collided with a car on Hennessy Street in Belconnen shortly before 10.30am.

The Bureau is predicting up to 15mm throughout the day, before drying up to isolated showers on Wednesday. A sheep graziers warning has also been issued across the ACT and surrounding regions.