Australia news live: NSW storm will ease this morning, BoM says; Qantas customers told to be on alert after hack
Date: 2025-07-02T20:49:50.000Z
Title: Sydney's Warragamba Dam set to spill after heavy rain
Content:
Water flowing out of Australia's largest urban water supply will add to the risk of flooding after a damaging and complex low pressure system caused widespread havoc, Australian Associated Press reports.
Warragamba Dam west of Sydney was expected to begin a 'moderate spill' into this morning after days of heavy rain, WaterNSW said.
Following recent rainfall, Warragamba Dam is close to full capacity and a moderate spill is anticipated later tonight. Check https://t.co/aGvuSITpvW for weather and flood warnings. For emergency information, contact the NSW SES - 132 500 https://t.co/gHMkemmKK0 pic.twitter.com/3P61ArIg7o
State regulations do not allow water to be released at the dam before predicted rainfall or to mitigate floods as it supplies 80% of Sydney's drinking water.
Spills at the dam are not uncommon, previously occurring in May, and three times in 2024.
Warragamba Dam flows into the Hawkesbury-Nepean river catchment, where the bureau has warned flooding could occur today.
Other, smaller dams were also spilling after reaching capacity following heavy rains.
Read more here:
Update:
Date: 2025-07-02T20:47:39.000Z
Title: NSW low-pressure system will ease this morning, says BoM
Content: The Bureau of Meteorology said this morning that a series of low pressure systems that has battered New South Wales remain in the Tasman Sea.
But a secondary low that was moving northwards and brought more wild weather has begun to weaken. Winds are expected to ease today around higher ground in the north of the state later during the morning, the BoM said.
There would be strong to damaging west to south-westerly winds averaging 55 to 65 kmh, the 4am update said, with peak gusts of around 100 kmh likely around parts of the Northern Tablelands, the mid-north coast hinterland and the Border Ranges. But the wind is expected to ease later this morning.
Severe weather 'is no longer occurring in the Hunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra and South Coast districts', the BoM said, and the warning for these districts was cancelled.
However, there would damaging surf conditions on the coast between Seal Rocks in the north to the Victorian border with the threat of 'coastal erosion and localised damage to coastal infrastructure'.
Update:
Date: 2025-07-02T20:47:19.000Z
Title: Qantas customers told to stay on high alert
Content: Qantas customers have been told to be on high alert for scams after one of the worst cyber attacks in months, Australian Associated Press reports.
Qantas yesterday revealed a cyber incident on a third-party platform used by the airline's contact centre that exposed the details of six million customers.
Names, phone numbers, dates of birth and email addresses are among the data believed to be exposed in the leak.
But Qantas reassured customers financial information, passport numbers, credit card details and frequent flyer PIN codes were not accessed.
Customers are urged to stay on high alert in coming months because they may experience targeted phishing scams.
The type of personal information could be used in further cyber attacks, a security expert says.
'I think even with reassurances, the breach of names, email addresses, phone numbers and perhaps most importantly, birth dates and frequent flyer numbers, it's still significant,' the executive director of Macquarie University's cyber security hub, Prof Dali Kaafar, said.
Kaafar said the details could lead to malicious actors building a more complete profile about individuals to make them more susceptible to other forms of cybercrime.
Qantas launched an investigation into the attack on Wednesday as customers reeled from the news. There has been no confirmation of the group responsible.
Qantas shares on the ASX shed about 3.6% to $10.38 on Wednesday in response to the news.
Update:
Date: 2025-07-02T20:46:53.000Z
Title: Welcome
Content: Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I'm Martin Farrer bringing you the early headlines and breaking news and then it'll be Rafqa Touma in the chair.
There is relief in sight for wind and rain-battered New South Wales after the Bureau of Meteorology said this morning that the low pressure system that has caused havoc for the state has begun to weaken. However, it looks like there will still be high winds and damaging surf conditions today. More coming up.
Qantas customers have been told to be on high alert for scams after another cyber attacks hit the company this week and exposed the details of six million customers.
More coming up.
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