12PM NEW UPDATE

• More than 200mm of rain has fallen in less than 24 hours along parts of the mid-north coast, with Newcastle, Dungog and Maitland among the areas hardest hit.
• Parts of the Pacific Highway have been closed, with motorists urged not to drive through floodwater.
• Many drivers however are ignoring warnings from emergency services – resulting in more than 20 rescues in two days along the New South Wales coast.
• The SES says most of the nine people rescued on Tuesday night were people who got stuck driving through water that was deeper than first thought.

“Even if you’ve got a 4WD, they still float, the conditions are hazardous. As little as 30cm of fast moving flood water can be enough to move a 4WD.”

• The slow-moving low-pressure system, which has centred around Nelson Bay, is expected to move out to sea by tomorrow morning.