Bureau issues warning with a month's worth of rain on the radar

A broad trough is expected to bring widespread rainfall across NSW, with severe thunderstorms and locally heavy falls for the next few days, the warning reads.

This rainfall may cause flooding along rivers in parts of the state's South Coast Rivers, Inland Central West Rivers and South West Rivers.

The warning points to minor flooding issues potentially along the Orange, Molong and Bell River areas, as well as Macquarie River.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is urging people to prepare their homes and not drive through flood waters should flash flooding occur during the forecast heavy rain and damaging winds.

NSW SES Senior Manager of State Operations, Chief Superintendent Dallas Burnes said additional resources had been deployed ahead of the expected weather, including flood rescue technicians, aviation assets and high clearance vehicles.

"It's important people prepare, by doing simple tasks around their home to minimise the impact of storms," Chief Superintendent Burnes said.

"Trimming trees around your property, securing loose items in your yards, moving your cars under cover and cleaning your gutters will help minimise the impacts of strong winds and significant rain."

One of Orange's wettest weeks of the year will be followed up, potentially, by our biggest drenching of 2023.

Officially, the city recorded 32.4 millimetres of rain last week - however the 14.6mm recorded at the airport to 9am last Thursday was dwarfed by some readings closer to the city.

Parts of Orange received as much as 50mm as a result of a lunchtime storm while further rain that evening would have pushed readings closed to 60mm for that 24 hour period and could have registered as the city's wettest day of the year. That remains March 27, when 65.2mm was recorded.

That disparity between readings at locations sparked calls on some social media forums for an official rain gauge reading closed to the Central Business District.

Had that 50mm been added to the official reading registered with the Bureau of Meteorology last week would have been one of the city's most significant rainfall events of 2023. The end of March will take some beating, with over 160mm falling over a seven-day period to easily mark Orange's wettest week of 2023.

Still, our most recent rain was enough to effectively wash out the 2023 NSW Country Cricket Championships southern pool action in Orange entirely. Across two games on Sunday, barely 25 overs were bowled, while Saturday was too wet for any action.

We might not have to wait long for the next big storm cell to roll through Orange either.

From Tuesday, more rain is on the radar for Orange.

Weatherzone.com has Orange rated as a 90 per cent chance of rain on Tuesday and then an 80 per cent chance of decent follow-up rain on Wednesday too.

If the city cops the maximum amount of rain the forecasters are predicting close to 60mm to be dumped across the region.

The predicted rainfall for the rest of the week should tip Orange's monthly total for November past the 100mm mark too, which will be the first time that's happened in 2023 since April. It will be the third month this year Orange has tipped over the triple-figure falls for the month.

For context, Orange received more than 100mm of rain per month on seven occasions throughout 2022 on the way to a total of 1340mm for the year.