Parkes records wettest August on record, shire's west and north-west cop drenching this past week

As much as 70 millimetres of rain has been reported to have fallen around Trundle and Tullamore, causing significant flash flooding and overland flooding.

Prior to 5pm on Thursday the SES had 18 requests for assistance in Trundle, as well as the four flood rescues and one evacuation as a result of the water.

NSW Rural Fire Service helicopters assisted the NSW SES on Thursday with aerial intelligence, food and fodder drops to isolated properties and flood rescues.

Earlier that afternoon a family cut off by flood waters was relocated from their home into Tullamore's township.

The aerial intelligence involved livestreaming imagery from the aircraft direct to the SES operations centre, with the information collected to be used for future flood planning and intelligence.

NSW SES is asking residents and visitors to areas in the Central West - especially coming into school holidays - to take extra care and review their flood plans as the ground remains considerably wet.

NSW SES Southern Zone Incident Controller Benjamin Pickup spoke about the situation in and around the areas from Trundle to Peak Hill on Thursday afternoon.

"In the Central West area around Trundle [on Wednesday night] and into the early hours of [Thursday] morning we saw some significant rainfall totals reported up to 70mm on the ground," he said in a video posted to Facebook.

"That's resulted in some significant flash flooding within the community of Trundle itself, as well as overland flooding around Trundle, Peak Hill, Tullamore area.

"Overnight we also saw a number of properties that were impacted by the flash flooding, the water is now starting to recede around the township itself but there remains a lot of water over the land around communities," he said on Thursday.

Mr Pickup encouraged everyone to stay off the roads and not enter flood water.

"We are seeing a number of flood rescues across Southern Zone and encourage people [to] not enter, drive or play in flood water," he said.

"It's quite dangerous and deceptive in how fast it's moving, particularly with the amount of rainfall we've seen over the past few weeks and the saturation of the ground level."

Parkes itself only recorded 13.2mm at its weather station at the Parkes Airport overnight Wednesday, Forbes only had 23.8mm.

But along with 19mm just last week on Friday - the highest recorded in town in one day so far for September this year - and 10-15mm on September 9 and 10, it's made for a soaking start to spring and follows a wet winter.

September's monthly rainfall total is 76.2mm so far.

Parkes recorded its wettest August on record at 95.8mm, wrapping up another reasonably wet winter.

Parkes' rainfall records began towards the end of 1941 and while there is no data between 1945 and 1972, and 1979 and 1998, this is the most that has been recorded in the town during the month of August.

Combine our most recent August falls with those in July (38mm) and June (8.2mm - 12 days were not recorded) this year and the town's winter rainfall total comes to 142mm.

That comes on the back of the 218.4mm recorded last winter, in 2021, while 2020 was also a wet winter, with 193.2mm over the three-month period.

In fact, those three winter tallies, brought on by a sustained la nina period, could make-up a history making run of rain for Parkes, just like it might in other areas such as Orange.

Parkes annual rainfall totals for 2020 and 2021 both passed the 800mm mark - 870.2mm and 857.2mm respectively - and so far in 2022, with three months remaining, we've had a total of 572.5mm in rain gauges across the town.

In Orange, its much higher with annual rainfall totals for the last two years both passing the 1000mm mark and so far this year they've had a total of 897mm.

If 2022, too, surpasses that magical 800 mark - four-figure mark for Orange - it will be the third straight year the two areas have recorded an annual rainfall total of more than 800mm and 1000mm.

In Parkes there's never been more than two years in a row with more than 800mm of rain that's been recorded. The only other time there's been two consecutive years was 1973 (955.3mm) and 1974 (820.7mm).

And in Orange more than 1000mm three times has only ever happened once before in the last 130 years.

'If it's flooded, forget it' is NSW SES's key message to those in areas impacted by overland flooding.

For road closures, please check Parkes Shire Council's website prior to travelling.

For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132 500.

In life-threatening situations call triple zero (000) immediately.