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The wild weather lashing New South Wales has claimed its first victims.
An elderly couple have died after they were trapped in their four-wheel-drive which was swept away by floodwaters in the Hunter Valley.
A New Zealand couple on board a P&O cruise ship near Sydney told family of terrifying conditions on board the ship.
The daughter of a Kiwi woman on board with her partner said her mother had spoken of chaos on the ship, which was scheduled to dock at Sydney at 6am this morning. Conditions meant the ship was unable to get anywhere near port.
The woman said the ship was pitching sharply and many of the passengers are violently ill. She said huge waves could be seen from the window of her 7th floor cabin.
Winds of 120 kilometres an hour and heavy rains have lashed Newcastle and torrential rain is hampering the search for a family of five, whose car was washed away north of Sydney on the old Pacific Highway road at Somersby.
At least a hundred thousand people had no power this morning, and were expected to have to go without for some time because of the weather.
- NEWSTALK ZB, NZHERALD STAFF
