Over the first quarter of 2022, The Braes has experienced higher than normal levels of rainfall, strong winds and regular storms which has affected the gardens immensely. Following this latest torrential rain and storm activity, the Blue Mountains was added to the list of Natural Disaster Areas on Monday 7 March 2022 (backdated to 22 February).
“This is the third major storm and flood event we’ve experienced in as many years, and it is taking its toll on our natural environment, our infrastructure, and on our community,” Mayor Greenhill said.
The average rainfall for the area, as per the Bureau of Meteorology station at Farnells Rd Katoomba, for the month of February, is 179.1mm, however the total rainfall for the same month in 2022 was 246.9mm, a 38 per cent increase. This increased significantly when looking at the month of March where the average rainfall of 172.1mm increased to a total of 511.8mm in just the first 15 days of the month, an increase of 197%.
