IT'S official ? February 2, 2012 has become the wettest day in 136 years in Tamworth.
Gauges in backyards across the city were overflowing yesterday after 121mm fell in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday, smashing a number of weather records.
The previous highest rainfall on any February day was 111.5mm on February 20, 1928.
Other wettest days on record ? 118.1mm on January 12, 1968 and 113.8mm on December 18, 1907 ? were also knocked out of the park.
In the 42 hours to 6am yesterday the deluge resulted in more than 157mm of rain, with more forecast well into early next week.
The 121mm is more than double the historic average monthly rainfall for Tamworth during February and two days into the month we appear to be well on our way to the wettest ever February on record; February 2008 recorded 169mm.
Residents near Kingswood reported at least 85mm between 8pm Tuesday and the same time Wednesday night and in East Tamworth one resident reported a huge 135mm in the gauge between 7am on Tuesday and the same time yesterday.
Weather records now officially record rainfall from 9am one day to 9am the next, unlike the historic midnight to midnight reporting.
Proving this year's weather is unique, in the first 33 days of 2012, Tamworth has recorded a total of 259.2mm of rain, more than seven times the amount of rain that had fallen to the same point in 2011.
In different areas of Calala, residents reported between 28mm and 48mm of rain fell between 7pm on Wednesday and 1pm yesterday.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the ongoing rain was the result of a broad trough of low pressure sitting over the top of inland NSW.
A spokesperson said the pattern, with help from a system over the state's west, was generating widespread rain across not only the North West Slopes and Plains but areas further west.
Other towns on the receiving end of downpours to 9am yesterday included Nowendoc, which recorded 117mm of rain, Narrabri 128mm, Moree 88mm, and Terry Hie Hie where 87.6mm fell.
The rain and subsequent flooding resulted in 29 road closures across the Tamworth Regional Council area.
The bulk of the road closures were in Moore Creek, Barraba and Manilla but Tamworth's local sporting organisations were issued warnings to move their equipment to higher ground at lunchtime yesterday.
Tamworth Regional Council's parks and horticulture manager Brian Sheedy said as a result of the more than 100mm of rain in the past two days, the Peel River was expected to peak at five metres late yesterday.
Mr Sheedy said the Gipps St and Riverside sports complexes would be impacted by flooding.
"All field sports for the upcoming weekend have been cancelled until council can reassess the situation next Monday," he said.
Mr Sheedy said sports associations that used clubhouses at Riverside and Gipps St were to relocate stored equipment to higher ground.
"They were asked to prepare for flooding of their amenities buildings," he said.
Confusion peaked around lunchtime with reports that Calala Ln would close.
Late yesterday the lane remained open and was expected to unless heavy falls were received in the Nundle area.
The Oxley Highway was closed between Tamworth and Gunnedah at Hoss Causeway, Carroll.
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