Wagga's wet weather not enough to boost Lake Albert: commodore Mick Henderson

Mick Henderson said the level of the lake would rise slightly after this week's rain, with rainwater flowing in from the Crooked Creek end, but it was not going to be enough to have a significant impact.

In the 24-hour period ending at 9am on Thursday, Wagga recorded 40.4 millimetres of rain, on top of 7.2mm on Wednesday.

By 1.45pm on Thursday, Wagga had received an additional 11.2mm of rain.

Significant rainfall - in the region of 50mm to 80mm - within the next two weeks would be needed to fill the lake, Mr Henderson said.

By mid-morning on Thursday, Wagga crews from the State Emergency Service had been called to nine jobs, all for minor issues including garage and ceiling leaks, a spokesman said.

While there may not have been enough rain to fill Lake Albert, a flood watch alert has been issued for the Murrumbidgee and Tumut rivers and Mirrool Creek, with the rising levels expected to begin to have an effect from late on Thursday.

Residents in low-lying areas along the Tumut River and the Murrumbidgee River to Wagga, as well as Cootamundra, Stockinbingal and towns along the Mirrool Creek, were being told to stay alert.

According to the SES, people in those areas should monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings and be ready to move to higher ground should flooding develop, while farmers should begin to move livestock and equipment away from flood-prone paddocks.

By early on Thursday afternoon, the Murrumbidgee River at Wagga had reached a height of 0.89m, which was below "minor flooding" levels.

Nigel Smedley from the Bureau of Meteorology's Wagga office said the rain across the region had been patchy, with some centres recording 70mm or 80mm, while others received 20mm to 40mm in the 24-hour period to 9am on Thursday.

But, he said, the rain expected to continue into Thursday evening, bringing further falls.

In the 24 hours to 9am on Thursday, Albury recorded 82mm, Ardlethan 36mm, Barmedman 54mm, Burrinjuck Dam 51mm, Booligal 13mm, Coleambally 42mm, Cootamundra 51mm, Culcairn 46mm; Darlington Point 54mm, Deniliquin 83mm, Griffith 28mm, Grong Grong 53mm, Gundagai 42mm, Hay 36mm, Hillston 54mm, Hume Reservoir 80mm, Kapooka 45mm, Lake Cargelligo 32mm, Narrandera 71mm, The Rock 48mm, Temora 38mm, Tumbarumba 18mm, Tumut 42mm, Urana 63mm, West Wyalong 55mm, and Yanco 72mm.

Mr Smedley said that after the two-day drenching, Wagga could be in for a drier day on Friday.

He said the rain was caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Esther and was expected to have passed over by Thursday night.

There was just a 40 per cent chance of up to three millimetres of rain on Friday, Mr Smedley said.